The Power of a God
by Lord Purple Heart
Summary: At peace, the residents of Gamindustri are living happy and fun lives. Their sole wish was for their peace to last forever. But when something unheard of in the whole of the Hyperdimension Universe happens, what will be the result? With this newcomer, will the peace be shattered? Or will a new era unfold onto the world of Gamindustri?
1. Prologue: The Lives That Will Intertwine

**The Power of a God**

**Prologue: The Lives That Will Intertwine**

For as long as I could remember, life's been spitting in my face and stepping on my toes at every opportunity it could find.

I have been avoided by most people for as long as I could remember, from kindergarten all the way up to 2'nd year high school. I don't know what it's about, but people tended to find me strange. Like they couldn't approach me, even if they wanted to.

I never understood it.

I was a fairly ordinary boy in my 3'rd year of high school. I participated in every sport and extracurricular activity available, which made my body tough and strong. It also kept my mind sharp and smart, making school no trouble at all for me. But even with that, I didn't do it to get smart. I didn't do it to get strong. I didn't do it for those kinds of things.

I did it because people, the adults around me, told me that it would help me find friends. My parents and my teachers had told me that it was the way that they had found their own friends, and so I figured that it would help me.

But it seemed like no matter how much effort I poured into the work, my classmates just drifted further away from me. Every time I tried to reach out to them the way that people told me to, they just kept moving away.

Like there was some sort of impregnable barrier in between me and the rest of society. It didn't work. Nothing seemed to.

Then, one day...

I turned to games. To anime, to manga.

And I found...stories. Tales and legends of great power and adventure that no one in real life could ever hope to achieve. Stories of love that transcended definition, that I felt through the pages as if it were my own emotion.

And...I saw stories of what I really wanted.

I saw stories of my own greatest desire. What I wanted more than anything else in the world.

The greatest friends that one could ever asked for. Friends that would help each other through thick and thin, friends who braved mountain ranges and fought evil together.

Friends that swore to live each day together with smiles and laughs that would ring with happiness for the rest of their lives. Friends that could tell each other their secrets and fears, and not get worried over not being rejected. The best of friends, people whose bonds were stronger than things like beliefs, ideals and the opinions and meddling of other people.

Something I envied.

But I enjoyed the stories nonetheless. The books and the games never tried to drift away from me, no matter how much I played them. No matter how much time I spent around them, the books and games would never get tired of me.

I didn't have to communicate with them. I didn't have to go through the trouble, or to make things harder for myself.

And I began carrying those books around with me. I played those games as often as I could in the spare time I could.

Even when I was the Student Council President, no one questioned my tastes. It surprised me, actually. No one seemed to discriminate against me for what I liked to do.

But when I was in the classroom one day, I overheard chattering and whispers. And through them, I learned the reason why.

People didn't have to discriminate me for my tastes. They were already shielding themselves from me, blocking me out from the rest of the students.

But unlike before, it didn't hurt as much when I heard it.

It didn't. It was greatly lessened because I now had something to turn to, something that softened the blow. Something that I could rely on.

Something that made my life a little more worth living.

And then, one day...

I was perusing the game shelves, looking for a nice new game to buy since my old ones were getting stale. Since my part-time job wages had been handed out the day before, I had already decided to splurge them on at least one game. And as my eyes scanned the aisles and the rows, looking for something to try...they landed on a single game.

Hyperdimension Neptunia

At the time, I felt extremely curious. I didn't know anything about it, but it looked like a game that would be the perfect match for my love of anime and manga combined with my love for video games.

And I bought it.

And I played it.

The novelty and nostalgia of the gameplay, the characters' unique and lovable personalities, the comical humor and the mesmerizing plot. The art, the scenes...everything about it. I loved it. I couldn't stop playing it. Day after day, after my homework was done, the first I would do was turn on the game and play. I continued this cycle for weeks and months, and I finished the game easily. Unable to control myself, I purchased the second game and finished it a paltry few weeks after. Obtaining every ending possible, I divvied up my wages and purchased the third game without any hesitation at all.

And in a few months' time, I finished Hyperdimension Neptunia: Victory.

I fell in love with the game, no doubt about it.

A unique brand of force began to drive me, bringing me to the brink of obsession. Without further thought, I began focusing more on my athletics than before. Kendo, gymnastics, track team, soccer, basketball, biking, boxing and even different sports like fencing, swimming and judo.

Martial arts. I wanted to hone my body, to be strong like the heroes in the stories that I loved.

I wanted to become fast, strong and impossible to defeat. Before long, I found myself standing on the pinnacle of the winners for every sport in school. First place, where everyone who challenged me would lose.

At this point, even delinquents who were armed with any variety of weapons couldn't hope to match my level of fighting skill.

It was like becoming a high-leveled character in the midst of the prologue.

But even so...

That kind of gap only made it harder to make friends. Before long, I had lost any and all hope of socializing with my classmates.

Then...

I found myself on the roof of my home, staring up at the night sky. The stars, mostly blocked by the corruption that is human pollution, were still shining beautifully. As I gazed at them, feeling at peace even with the deep sadness brooding within my chest, my eye caught four twinkling stars. One shone with a slightly purplish light, which confused me. Another, right next to it, twinkled with a light that made me think of the color black. The light next to that was as white as white could get, standing out from the other stars. The last one, a bit above the white one, glittered with a slight tone of green.

They were arranged together, brighter than the other stars around them, in a diamond-like shape. It felt as if just by looking at their own shining light, strength and serenity were being poured into my spirit. Just by looking at those stars...I felt like there was something watching over me.

Prompting me to keep going.

And on those stars, I whispered a wish that I knew would not come true. A bittersweet wish that escaped my lips before I could stop them.

I heard my own voice, deep and raspy, whisper as if I were speaking like they could hear me:

"Please...let me see Gamindustri for myself. Let me be happy in the place where I want to be, instead of wasting my time here in this harsh reality. My only wish, is that."

My thoughts wandered as I stared at the stars.

_Life is cruel, unforgiving, blunt and harsh. There are double standards, subjective ideals and lies._

_There's no way to tell what to do and if it's right or wrong unless you do it and see for yourself. There's no way to change your relationships and progress with other people once you make a mistake or say something by accident, even if you didn't mean it or understand what it could mean._

_People will shut you out because of fear, or because they don't understand what they see. And they won't want to understand. They accept what other people tell them, and act selfishly just because they want to enjoy life without considering the consequences._

_Nothing lasts forever, and people will be forgotten. Conflict is inevitable in this world, and bonds are shattered easily, never to be repaired or restored to what it once was._

_Life here is just..._

_A shitty game._

Those thoughts still dominated my mind as I decided to turn on my computer, and I clicked on the link for the website that I watched the animation of Hyperdimension Neptunia on. At the same time, I turned on the game and went to the official website and began browsing. As the game turned on and the anime began to play, I smiled to myself.

_As long as I have these games, anime and manga, I won't need to bother much with the real world._

Suddenly, the world around me blew wide open. Flashing colors of every hue and shade threatened to rob me of my eyesight. As I stood up in alarm, the laptop screen in front of me suddenly went black. As I turned in panic, the T.V screen also went dark. Suddenly, both screens flew off their mounts, aligned with each other and floated towards the ceiling as the world continued to flash with various different colors.

I felt my head beginning to get pressured on both of my temples, and I began massaging them as I stared up at the monitors that were hovering above my head. The one directly over my head, the laptop monitor, began spinning in a clockwise direction at a speed comparable to a modern helicopter rotor. The television monitor did the same, only revolving counter-clockwise.

_What the heck is going on?!_

I began to hear a high-pitched whine become slightly audible, and I covered my ears to defend my senses against the offensive noise. I looked up at the screens, which suddenly blared to life and threatened to blind my eyes. I squinted to avoid that, instead staring at the lights onscreen.

The colors were now flashing purple and white, shifting between the two at godspeed. The transition speed alone was dizzying, forcing me to one knee in order to balance myself.

I felt my body pitch forward, as if it were suddenly devoid of its strength. Throwing my arms forward, I hit the ground and braced myself. But even my arms began to lose their strength, and my face struck my floor mercilessly.

Soon enough, my eyes began to feel too heavy to keep open. But before they shut, I watched my own hands begin to change and morph. They began disintegrating into varying different colors of tiny pixels, which floated into the air and began dissipating into thin air.

* * *

"Neptune, please do some work!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, trying to get the lazy girl off of her rear end. She refused to budge, instead complaining about the work and my 'incessant nagging' over it all as she continued to click away at the controller.

It was already near midnight in Gamindustri, and in the nation of Planeptune, its beloved Console Patron Unit was slacking off the way she always does.

It never helped when her little sister, the CPU Candidate, loved her big sister enough to spoil her silly.

It warms my heart when I watch the two spend time together, but it irritates me to no end when I see her not doing her job. And as such, I act on that impulse.

After all, I do all the work that she was supposed to. The only thing I was incapable of doing was going out and defeating monsters, as my size and lack of physical strength left me unable to do so without risking critical injury.

But Neptune and Nepgear have not done a scribble nor a swing of work all day, and it irked me as it always does. Even if it has become something I've come to live with, striving for the improvement of my nation and assisting the CPU whenever needed is what I do as an Oracle. Naturally, I would do and say such things to my own CPU for that purpose.

But today...things just seemed especially off.

I felt a sigh of fatigue escape my lips as I floated back into my office, which was filled with paperwork and the like.

_Well, I can understand why the active and happy-go-lucky Neptune would not want to do these kinds of things. I myself do not enjoy it, as much as people find it surprising._

_Why do people think that I enjoy working?_

It was a question that puzzled me to no end, and one that I kept encountering in my conversations with citizens and Basilicom staff. For some unknown reason, people seem to presume that I am a person whose life's enjoyment is to work.

As if I truly enjoy every minute of watching my pen write ink on dozens of paperwork.

I shooed away the idle thoughts and lowered my book to hover on the same level as the table. I stretched my arms and prepared myself to start the meticulous work once again.

As I placed my hands on the table and brought another piece of paper towards me, I found myself smiling.

Even with how my irresponsible CPU acts, and how irresponsible our CPU Candidate acts as well, our nation was bound to remain stagnant for a long time to come.

But if this peace were to last as long as my CPU and CPU Candidate remained the way they were...I wouldn't mind the irresponsibility.

Suddenly, I realized what my thoughts were drifting to, and I slapped my own cheeks to bring myself back to Gamindustri.

_What do you think you're thinking, Histoire?! If you take that kind of attitude, you'll never get those two to straighten out! And if we don't, our nation won't become great!_

I shook my head, ridding myself of all unnecessary thought, and focused on the paperwork in front of me. Grabbing the pen nearby, which was larger than a good portion of my very own body, I got to work.

But as the night dragged on, and the work retained it's tediousness, I couldn't help but feel satisfied with the way things were now. The smile that I had fought off before crept back onto my face, stronger than the last.

_I will keep working. For my sake, for Neptune's and Nepgear's sake. And for the sake of our nation._

That thought was what kept me persevering as I worked through the night, never stopping for breaks.

* * *

I gazed out from the window.

Below, the twinkling lights sparkled with beauty I couldn't help but feel entranced by. I could see our citizens, bustling and busy even at this hour of the night, shuffling and walking around on the ground below. I smiled to myself, which I think is a rare thing to happen. I felt a single lock of my silver hair drift past my cheek and make contact with it, and I brushed it aside to keep it from causing the sensation again.

I found it distracting. Even if I were just trying to relax.

"Kei."

I heard the voice of my friend and leader behind me, and I turned around to greet her. Purely by reflex, I bowed deeply.

"Good evening, Lady Noire. Forgive me for slacking off from my work, but I wished to use some of my spare time to relax. I shall get back to the work soon."

The girl across from me just gave me a look of surprise, followed by a sigh and a look of disbelief. She smiled, and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright. You and I have been doing plenty of work today, since the morning. Not to mention, we've had Uni around to help us. Relax all you like, Kei. I expect you to get back to work after you're done, though." She said, her deep crimson eyes reflecting the kindness and earnest personality that was Noire's alone. I couldn't help but close my eyes and smile back, then I bowed my head slightly and removed her hand from my shoulder with my own.

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I shall make some tea. If you would like some, please tell me." I offered to her as I walked past her, my senses tingling for the taste of the tea that was given to us in the Lastation Basilicom, courtesy of Planeptune's Oracle, Histoire.

"Ah, I'd like some. I'll sit with you here, and we can both take a breather." Noire responded, pulling up a chair and sitting adjacent to mine own.

It was only a few minutes later that I came back with the freshly brewed tea, and I offered one of the cups to the goddess. Noire thanked me courteously and took the teacup out of my hands. I heard the quiet sound of the chair creak when I sat down, and the quiet slurp that was emitted from Noire's lips as she began sipping her tea. Together, we sat in silence and enjoyed the silent companionship as we gazed out at the beauty of our nation in the night.

The splendor of Lastation.

For minutes, we sat and continued to enjoy the taste of the Planeptunian tea. The rich and strong taste of the drink perfectly reminded me of the nation's irresponsible leaders. It filled me with the energy to keep working, as well as enough excessive energy for me to do and say things only the over-energetic Neptune would ever consider.

I took a deep breath and harnessed the energy, directing it into a different part of my being. Regulating the amount of energy I was allocating into the different parts of my body, I felt like I could continue working for the rest of the month without stopping.

"...isn't this is a little too strong, Kei?" I could hear Noire to my right, trying not to let the new-found energy bestowed by the tea get to her. I was pretty sure that she was capable of completing all the current quests in the Guild if she were to accept them all now.

"Unfortunately, this was the lightest possible dose that I could administer. Any more, and we'll end up like Planeptune's CPU and CPU Candidiate." I muttered, trying not to imagine what would happen if we were to reach that state.

Lastation would surely begin to decline.

I smiled to myself once again and stood up from the chair, and I walked to the window. I placed my hand onto the glass, letting the ice-cold substance fill my fingers with their chill.

"...it sure is peaceful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." I heard the sound of the chair being pushed back as she stood up. Footstep after footstep rang out, and I felt her presence close to my side. Together, we smiled down on the nation that we had built up together.

_It'd be great if this peace lasted forever._

"Well, enough of this. I'm going back to work." Beside me, Noire shook her head with a smile and turned her back to the lights and the hustle of the city below. I felt my own feet move in tandem as I spun on my heel and joined her.

* * *

I felt my drained energy beginning to replenish, now that my job has become easier.

To be exact, two times easier.

"...mm..." The sound of Rom mumbling her sleep as she was whisked away and preoccupied in whatever dreamland she was in was extremely adorable. The sound, like that of a purring kitten, was befittingly cute of her.

I tightened my grip for the bed-sheets, which she had neglected to use, and tucked them over her small body. Feeling a surge of motherly love sprout in my chest, I bent over and kissed her forehead lightly.

"...no, big sis...my candy..." From my right, I could hear her sister, Ram, mumbling nonsense in her sleep as well. From my standpoint, however, she was far more mischievous. Regardless of her aptitude for making both me and her big sister angry, I pecked her on the forehead as well. She let out a strange sound when I did, and I chuckled to myself.

Carefully treading across the floor so I wouldn't make any loud excess noise, I closed the door silently behind me. Once the sound of the door's mechanism clicked, I began walking normally again across the hall. The sound of my footsteps was muffled by the carpet, anyway. I wouldn't have to worry about stealth now.

I felt like it was time to visit my room and get things inside there in order before I take my time off from being a babysitter. As I reached my room, I noticed that the door itself was left slightly ajar. The light inside was on.

_Is someone inside?_

The thought itself began to inspire different ideas in my mind, down to the basic and extreme possibility of robbery. But being that this was the Basilicom of Lowee, no one in the whole of Gamindustri would risk robbing the home of my Lady.

Lest they risk the horror that was Lady White Heart on an angry hammer spree.

I cringed at the thought of the horror that was sure to ensure if such a thing happened in reality. I was responsible in part for such a blunder, as I was the Oracle of this nation. And I would rather not forfeit my life to Blanc at all costs, if I could help it.

_I shall eliminate this issue before Lady Blanc ever catches wind of it!_

Slowly, I let my right hand reach for the door. Hesitantly, I stuck my head in as I pushed the door even further open.

And suddenly, I felt a pang of pain on the top of my head as the world suddenly went black. A metallic ring resonated through the air, and I began clawing at my face.

My nails and fingers encountered metal instead of my face, and I grasped the bottom of the object. With a heave, I squeezed the unknown object off my face. As my eyes were once again able to perceive color and the rest of the world, what I looked at in my hands filled me with irritation and resignation.

It was a bucket.

_Those two kids..._

I could imagine them snickering in their sleep as this had taken place, and I couldn't help but sigh in defeat. I removed the bucket and walked to my personal bathroom, placing it near the toilet. Hopefully, I'd be able to dispose of it properly later on.

_Perhaps I can ask the Basilicom Staff to take care of the bucket for me..._

As my thoughts drifted to this, a light knocking on my door sounded out. I stood up and poked my head around the corner, wondering who it would be.

"Mina, you're soaked. What happened?" A quiet yet concerned voice, complete with a near-expressionless face and brown eyes that still managed to glisten with the light of worry and curiosity.

"Did I interrupt you while you were bathing? Are we not going to stay on the terrace?"

"No, not to worry, Lady Blanc! I'll be out shortly, so please wait for me for a small moment." I waved my hands in panic and surprise before gesturing in the direction of the garden-like balcony that was connected to Blanc's room.

"Mm. Well then, don't take too long." With a quiet smile, Blanc

Within moments, I had changed clothes and taken a bath. I rushed towards the CPU's room. I threw the door open without a second thought and hurriedly scanned the room for the girl.

I could see the top of her white and brown hat poking out over a chair that was placed in the midst of her balcony, and I walked over to the seat. As I walked into Blanc's field of vision, she shot me a smile and offered me a seat near her, separated by a single table. On that table, there was a chess set already set up. Next to it were two cups of hot chocolate, varied colors of marshmallows floating in the steaming liquid.

"Sit down. You've earned the break." Blanc muttered as she picked up a cup and began gulping down small portions of the contents.

I smiled and took the cup off the table, savoring the smell of the drink. I shook it a bit, and the hot chocolate churned like a raging ocean, with the marshmallows like tiny sea vessels that were under the threat of sinking. The thought amused me, and I smiled as I drank a bit. The warmth spread from my throat to my chest, and then it filled my body. I sighed contently and turned my attention to the picturesque view from our position.

This balcony oversaw and overlooked the whole of Lowee, and the cold weather and snow that came with it. Tonight, however, it snowed not in the least. And as I looked at the view below, I could see the small figures of people passing by and going about their business. I smiled to myself as I saw a couple walk along with their child in tow, and the faces of Blanc's little sisters came to mind.

"...I prefer it this way. It's so much more peaceful." Blanc muttered nonchalantly as she took yet another sip of her drink. I couldn't help but nod silently as she said that, drinking some more chocolate myself.

_Oh, wait. Where..._

A question suddenly popped into my mind, and I turned to my CPU.

"Lady Blanc?" I began, trying to catch her attention. She turned to me, a courteous look of questioning on her face.

"Who made this hot chocolate?"

Upon hearing the question, she grinned and took another sip. Instead, she shifted in her seat and placed her hand onto the White King on the chess set in between us.

"I'll tell you who it was if you win." She responded, a little of a challenging tone beginning to sprout in her voice.

"I don't plan on losing." I responded, my own hands tingling for competition. As Blanc moved her Knight forward, I placed a Pawn a space forward.

As the night dragged on, Lady Blanc was the one who won. She smiled a serene smile and stood up from her seat, taking the cup with her. She walked out and was just about to exit the room when she called out to me.

"Mina...keep up the good work. That's what Rom and Ram wanted to say." She said before she swung the door open and left.

I smiled and stared down at the contents of the cup, now empty. I sighed and thought back to the game.

_Who would've known that those two would've asked Blanc to teach them how to make hot chocolate...?_

_Lady Blanc, I will keep this nation safe. I will make sure it stays a world where you and I can play chess again, and where the little ones will keep playing around and being themselves._

_Maybe if I work hard enough, maybe...just maybe...I'll beat you in chess, Lady Blanc._

That dangerous thought crossed my mind for a moment, before I remembered just what happened the last time Blanc lost to someone in chess. I couldn't quite recall if it involved sulking or stabbing, and I didn't really want to remember.

* * *

The tingling was still there.

I rubbed my cheeks, which was still in pain, and I traveled down the stairs towards the ground floor of the Basilicom. I smiled as I did, even with the burning sensation racing down my cheek.

Slap 1: Attempting to see my beloved CPU bathe in the shower.

Slap 2: Attempting to wash her back and help her bathe...in all sorts of places.

Slap 3: Attempting to play a game with her and dying easily in the midst of an online battle.

Slap 4: Attempting to extricate the goddess from playing her game and cuddle with me in my room.

Slap 5: Repeat Slap 4.

_I was just trying to get some skin-ship in, and she hit me 5 times._

The fifth one was the hardest one, of course.

I made my way back down, deciding to work a bit more before turning in for the night. As I reached my room, I took my hairband off and threw it onto the bed-sheets.

In a few minutes, I had already bathed and changed into a set of light green pajamas. Neatly folding my used clothes and my ribbon into a neat pile and setting it on the side, I felt the drowsiness begin to come into my mind. I covered my mouth as a yawn came on, and I laid down on the bed with my face directed towards the ceiling.

_Ah, Vert..._

My beloved "big sister" was still upstairs, pulling another all-nighter on her online games. I could hear her complaining to whoever she was playing with over the microphone, screaming some nonsense about appropriate magic skills and battle formations. I only felt negative emotions whenever I could hear her talk about this. After all, she was such a beautiful girl with a bombshell body and an intelligent mind. To me, I couldn't understand why she chose to waste her time on such things when she could be out doing much more fulfilling things.

I decided to stop my thoughts right there and then. After all, I have no right to tread upon and judge what she chose to do for fun. What she does for fun is her choice, and hers alone.

Besides, she's a goddess. If there was one upside, it was that she would never change her appearance. No matter how long she played her games, she would not pale or get fat. She wouldn't lose the time she spent playing, since she can't die of age.

_She'll always stay by my side._

I smiled as this thought crossed my mind, and I stared at the ceiling again. As the night wore on for another hour, I could hear nothing but the cicadas outside and the sound of Vert's game from the floor above me.

_...what am I doing?_

I sighed and stood up from the bed. I walked all the way to Vert's bedroom and knocked on the door quietly. I heard her voice through the door speak to her online comrades for a moment, then I heard the sound of feet shuffling unsteadily due to lack of sleep.

The door creaked open, and I saw the girl's face pop out from the side. Eyebags had already begun to form under her eyes, but I decided not to mind it.

"Um...would you mind letting me play with you again?" I asked her, fidgeting uncontrollably in place.

"...sure, Chika. Come in." She let the door open wider, and I felt my heart leap. The chance to spend a lot of time with Vert doing the things she loves to do was more than enough for me. As I walked inside, gleefully dancing in my mind, only one thought stood out.

_I wish that this peaceful and fun life with Vert would stay the same for as long as time stands._

* * *

Four Oracles, separated by nation and loyalty, were united by one wish.

For Gamindustri to remain the peaceful world that it was now.

But...

Tonight, this fictional world was going to be rocked and shocked by one of the most shocking events ever to detail it's colorful history.

The coming of a God.


	2. Chapter 1: Visitor

**Chapter 1: Visitor**

Darkness.

I felt like massive metal plates were pressing against my temples, and I could feel nausea. I felt like I was about to vomit, and I could tell that the bile was trying to rise out of my chest. My eyes were shut tight. So strongly that I could feel strained muscle on my face tingle with pain. Keeping my eyes closed, I reached for my face and began to massage it to lessen the tension and alleviate some of the pain.

_Oh god...what happened?_

This thought ran through my mind, and it prompted me to open my eyes slowly and warily. As I did, I did my best to use my aching mind to process what I was seeing.

I was lying on my back on a prickly yet soft bed of grass, smooth to my skin. I was facing the sky, which was impossibly clear and beautiful. Countless amounts of stars adorned the scene, sparkling and twinkling far more brightly than I have ever known stars to be. The background of this portrait of stars was a deep blue, deeper than the pictures of the sea I often saw online.

I braced my gut and my arms and pushed myself into a sitting position. I took a good look around me.

From what I could tell, I was in a clearing. The wind, pleasantly cool to my skin, brushed past me and rustled my hair. I moved my bangs away from my eyes and observed the rest of my surroundings. Trees that were clearly larger than I was loomed around me. They did not extend any ominous shadows, though. Instead, they looked full of joy and life.

I took a deep breath and decided to assess the situation.

Where am I?

This question spurred me on to action, and I stood up on my feet. My nausea and dizziness were still in effect, and I felt the world tilt diagonally for a moment. I stuck my right foot out and threw my arms out to regain my balance, even when the scenery around me was revolving like a top.

I waited, focusing only on the sound of my breathing and trying to regain my senses. It lasted only how many minutes before I felt comfortable enough to try taking another step. As my foot struck the grass and supported my leg, I felt only a minuscule amount of the spinning earth.

_Well, for now, I suppose I should find some sort of civilization or something else of the sort. Find out where I am and what's going on._

Once again, I began sweeping my eyes over the trees and the greenery. All I could see was the brown of tree bark and the vegetation of the forest around me. My eyes sought something I could use, like the light that might emanate from a town or a tall man-made landmark.

I couldn't see anything, though.

I felt the vomit begin to threaten come back up, and I forced it back down by sheer willpower. I began taking deep breaths, rattled slightly with hiccups, and closed my eyes once more to calm myself down. It was a short amount of time before I stopped, and I reasserted control over my body.

_Okay...Oh wait! My phone!_

If I had signal, I would at least be able to get some sort of clue. Frantically, I clutched at my pocket and grabbed my phone that laid inside. Pulling it out, I stared at it.

No signal. Not a single bar.

I cursed to myself and placed it inside my pocket again before running a small inventory check on the rest of my body.

The only items I had left on my person were a wallet, a digital sports watch and a black handkerchief.

In other words, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no provisions.

A perfect recipe for certain and slow death, if I didn't do anything to change my situation soon.

As I placed the items in my pocket, my ears picked up on a sound. It was the sound of leaves being rustled and moved aside, and the sound of grass being stepped on.

By something.

I felt the panic begin to rise in my system as I backed off from the direction of the sound as quickly as possible without making too much noise. Tensing my knees, I got into a crouching position and remained perfectly still. I lowered my breathing to the point where I sounded like I was dying. I felt seconds pass painfully slowly as I kept my stance, trying my best not to bolt in the other direction.

For all I know, it could be a deadly creature.

As I gazed at my watch, I watched the time tick by as if it were doused in ice water. I felt the once refreshingly cold wind begin to bite into my skin as if ants were biting into skin with jaws laced by teeth of ice. Even with that unpleasant sensation, I felt the sweat begin to trail down my forehead.

I could sense a faint presence over in the direction of the noise, and it was beginning to come closer.

Whatever it is...it didn't seem human.

_Wait a second, wait a second...if I'm still in Japan after all that, then I'm going to look like a complete fool for thinking that a dangerous monster or animal would be roaming around. Sure, I have no idea where I am or what it is...but it's not like there would be something capable of really hurting me severely or fatally, is there?_

Finding a few bits and scrapes of courage from telling myself this, I began to sneak forward. As I neared the bush that was concealing my form, my senses suddenly went on high alert.

A small form burst out of the greenery, and I yelled in surprise and leaped backwards.

It was a strange creature, not one I have ever come across before. It was extremely small, its height only reaching the midst of my foreleg. It was completely blue, and had no arms or legs, instead looking a lot like a generic Slime-Type monster from various RPGs I've played in my lifetime. It also had dog-like ears sticking out from the top of its...whole body, rather than its head. Its face also seemed canine in its appearance, even if its face was the only thing on its body.

As it neared me, I felt every aspect of danger disappear from my warning signals. Instead, I sighed and felt like hitting myself. If not, have someone else strike me instead. I felt like an idiot for letting a small thing throw my off my game too much.

_Actually...now that I have a closer look at it..._

I continued to gaze at the strange creature, which was clinging to my leg in a near-adorable and near-pathetic fashion. It was not doing anything strange, and I didn't even feel strange at all. Through my pant leg, I could sense the feeling of the creature's body pressing against my shin. It was warm and soft, and also felt gelatinous. Like a hot water bottle, it also warmed up my body pleasantly.

Staring at its features hard makes me realize that it looked very familiar to me, surprising me. Its very form was one that sparked small fires of recognition in my mind, yet I couldn't quite get a handle on its identity.

It frustrated me, but I decided not to mind it.

"Hey, little guy. You don't seem like you're gonna hurt anyone, even me. Wanna tag along?"

I've never had a pet, and this little thing had ended up getting closer to me than anyone else. It felt comforting, and even began to feel like a sort of companionship.

The thing just made a strange sound and jumped a bit, wagging its gelatinous tail. I lowered myself to let it climb on, and it jumped onto my forearm with ease. It made a sound similar to a happy bark before traveling up to rest on my shoulder. As I sat back down and leaned my head on the creature, it returned the favor by nuzzling my head with its body. It felt extremely soft and malleable, like a pillow of gelatin, or a miniature living water bed.

It made me feel far more comfortable than I was a moment ago. Even confident, and my mind has gone back to a far more capable state. I could think again, since the panic and massive amount of idle of thoughts hindering my thoughts have dissipated. Mostly, at least.

Stroking the creature on my shoulder comfortingly, I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of injury on it. Like a scratch or a cut brought on by a sharp weapon. That thought suddenly drove me harder, and I set my eyes on the forest.

It was night. The forest may not seem imposing, but if this thing on my shoulder existed, then who knew what the trees and the bushes could contain.

Was it wise to walk through it now, in the midst of the night when I could hardly see much of what might be in front of me?

Certainly not.

But I had no other choice except to wait it out here, where I'd be easy prey for whatever else might live in this place. And if we were attacked, neither of us could protect ourselves, much less each other.

The idea of massive, man-eating creatures unsettled me, but I drove away the images and took my first step in this mysterious forest.

* * *

"Hah!"

With a grunt, I spun and slashed the Delinquent Cat in front of me with my Qatar. With a cry, it fell backwards and exploded into a collection of pixels and crystals. I sighed deeply and retracted my weapons into my oversized coat sleeves before walking over to a certain, large tree.

Behind that tree, I could see my companion stab another Delinquent Cat with a needle capable of making even a Phoenix or a Dolphin hesitate.

The girl sighed contently and wiped her sweat, hefting the needle on her shoulder and turning to me with a smile on her face.

"IF, I've finished here. Shall we continue?" She asked me this as if she had not just stabbed a creature to death.

"Yeah, let's go." I smiled, ignoring the thoughts in my mind, and began striding with Compa lined up behind me.

We've been doing these kinds of Quests for some time now, just the two of us. Earlier, we'd done our job of eliminating 20 Dogoos from this forest. For some reason, we'd eliminated the whole bothersome group. However, it was only counted as 19.

One must have escaped amidst the confusion.

I snapped my fingers and sucked my teeth in frustration. I stuck my hands back in my too-large sleeves and placed them in my coat pockets. Behind me, I could hear the sound of Compa's boots as she marched past me with her needle in tow.

Scratch that, she had dozens of needles in her bag. And how she keeps them all on her person is beyond me.

As I looked at the forestry around me, the dim lighting and cool air made me realize that we had already passed nightfall. It was far more difficult to look around and make out details, unlike how it was earlier.

I sagged my shoulders in disappointment. Compa and I had made a rule where we were not to stay out 'til evening when it came to Quests, and neither of us had chosen to break that rule.

After all, the other person got to choose the offender's punishment. And there was no prescribed type or limit to the punishment. Compa was a punctual person by instinct and reflex, so she would never break the rule unless something world-class was threatening her.

I was not that kind of person.

And so, it frightens me to imagine what Compa would do.

"...we'll have to come back for the Dogoo tomorrow, Compa. Let's head back for now and turn in the Quests we've already completed." I decided, turning back and grabbing Compa by the collar of her shirt. By the time she began to respond, I was already dragging her across the forest floor.

"Okay! I'll cook dinner, as a treat to make up for letting him get away!" Compa volunteered, and I couldn't help but leap for joy in my mind. Compa may be a nurse, but her domestic skills were fearsome to behold as well. Between the two us, she was capable of taking care of a house as easily as I kill monsters.

It made for a good setup.

I rounded a bend and suddenly stopped.

The atmosphere here was different. It was...not natural. It wasn't hostile, as something like that tended to set my senses off and raise the hairs on my neck. An aura that screamed of danger was something akin to that of Ancient Dragons and the CFWs.

This wasn't like that.

It didn't seem like a very pleasant aura, either. It screamed presence, for sure.

It was the closest thing to an aura in between.

It was strange. It was out of place.

Unnatural.

Like something that wasn't meant to be here had suddenly arrived, as if it had fallen out of the sky.

I stuck closer to the tree next to me, ignoring the hardened splinters that were digging into my skin and my beloved blue coat. Craning my neck, I took a peek over the side of the bark and used my eyes to scout ahead.

The darkness and shadows did not allow for much of an opportunity to see ahead, and I cursed under my breath. I didn't like the vibes that I was getting yet, and I held a hand up, a gesture for Compa to stay where she was.

She grunted in acknowledgment, and I felt thankful for her capability to understand me even when neither of us spoke.

I unsheathed my Qatars from their positions in my sleeves and stepped out from my cover. Slowly and quietly, I shuffled across the floor on tiptoe. Being careful not to make a single noise, I followed my instincts for the direction of the strange presence.

I passed tree after tree, which had begun to look ominous and menacing in this atmosphere. They looked jagged, crooked and...scary.

_Don't think about that!_

I shook my head vigorously to clear it of the idle and distracting thoughts, as well as the images in my head of monsters that were capable of scaring me half to death. I grit my teeth and advanced further, and before long, I could feel it just ahead.

I switched my gaze from the leaves and grass in front of me to a nearby tree, and then I looked directly at one of the branches connected to it. It was high, far higher than my own height. Digging my feet into the ground, I leaped and grabbed the tree branch with my hand and dug my left Qatar into it. I thrust my chest forward and hooked my legs onto the branch, and I winced when I felt the prickles of the wood press into the back of my leg.

With a huff, I swung and used the momentum to catch another branch with my hands. With this, I climbed up on the tree and began leaping from branch to branch.

With this, I had a vantage point.

Finally, I felt the presence close by, and it had begun to move as well. What's more, it had begun moving in my direction. I felt a tiny shiver trickle down my back as I noted this, and I did my best not to immediately unsheathe my two Qatars right then and there.

I realized that my hands, when I looked at them, were actually shaking uncontrollably. They trembled, and not in excitement or anticipation.

They quaked in nervousness, anxiety...and if I admit it to myself, fear.

I heard a noise that sounded like something stepping on the forest floor, and I braced my shaking hands against the branch and froze every part of my body. As rigid as possible, I could have been mistaken for a statue.

_Here it is!_

And a second passed.

…

…

Two seconds.

Three.

…

_For some reason, it's not having that sense of extreme danger that I had been expecting._

In all honesty, I had been expecting a monster that dwarfed the size of Ancient Dragons to suddenly erupt from the ground. I'd go so far as to say that I was expecting something epically bad.

Yet I heard nothing.

Yet I still felt that presence.

The darkness of the dawn had already become blacker, making it far harder to see what was in front of me. I squinted to see what I could make out in the direction of the incoming presence.

And when I did...I saw a boy.

_A...person?_

The boy looked around the age of 17, what with his height and all. His hair was black. So black, it was almost impossible to make it out with the shadows of the forest concealing him so well. From what I could tell, he was wearing civilian clothing.

He wore a black tee, and was donning a pair of dark blue jeans. His shoes were black as well, and I could just barely make out a black watch on his wrist.

His hair was messy, and his bangs concealed his eyes and a good portion of his face from my angle. It was also clearly spiky, being similar to a pincushion run through with needles.

And despite his lack of weapons or anything else that could possibly register him as a threat, I felt the vibes erupting and spouting from his position.

It was unmistakable.

This boy was the source of the strange feeling that I had.

_...he doesn't seem like a bad person._

My curiosity grew stronger than my fighting spirit, and I leaped down to intercept him. When I landed in front of him, he appeared visibly startled. He even jumped a few steps back.

When I saw him jump and land, I noticed that the movement was actually smooth and lean. It was graceful, even. Practiced.

"Um...a woman?"

His voice, indicating he was completely clueless and lost on what to do in this situation, was evidently stained with nervousness.

He doesn't seem like he's from around here.

"You. Who are-" I felt the words catch in my throat when my eyes rested on his shoulder.

On it was a Dogoo.

And on its flank, I could make out a wound. It was still fresh, and recovering as I watched.

That was the one I had let get away. No doubt.

My senses went on "monster hunting" mode in a flash, and I unsheathed my Qatars without warning.

"Get away from that thing!" I yelled at him, just hoping that he would listen to me. I rushed it and prepared to run the creature through and complete the Quest.

What I didn't expect was to suddenly feel my Qatar stop mid-swing as if it had been caught by a rope or stopped by a wall.

_W-what?!_

I removed my eyes from my target and looked back to my arm.

My Qatar blade was extended, and my arm was still in the middle of the swing itself. But it had been caught, alright.

The boy had not ducked, rolled or gotten away from the Dogoo like I screamed at him to do so. Instead, he had shifted to the side a bit, stepped forward and caught my Qatar blade in between his fingers.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" I said to the boy, who was standing calmly and steadfast despite my attempts to remove my Qatar from his grasp.

"That's what I want to ask you. What do you think you're trying to do, attacking my friend right after we met each other?"

I couldn't actually blame him for thinking that, but my thought remained on one thing. I swept my gaze slowly from my weapon to the boy, and then to the Dogoo just staring at me as if I were just something that wasn't trying to kill it.

_His pet's a Dogoo? No, wait! That's not the issue at all!_

_How the hell did he stop my blade?! And with that kind of method, not to mention!_

He grabbed the blade with his whole hand and pushed it away, and I fell back spinning because of his strength. I found myself striking the hard earth with my rear end, staring dumbfounded at the strange pair.

"...that issue aside, do you mind me asking you a question?"

And suddenly, his tone shifted drastically from a serious one to a tone as casual as casual could get. He smiled at me as well, and I could feel the heavy, hostile atmosphere vanish completely.

He swept his bangs aside with his hands, and I saw his eyes. I froze right there, narrowing my eyebrows.

_His eyes...are..._

Before I could even finish my thought, I could hear a faint voice from behind me. It was calling out my name, that much I could tell.

It was Compa.

I sighed and turned back to the boy.

"My name is IF. Come with me for a second. I want to ask you some questions."

"Um...sure. My name is Akai. Akai Gurren."

* * *

_IF?_

That name.

That name was completely identical to a character whom I knew for charisma, sass and quick wit. Those Qatars, the blue coat, the cell phones on her belt and the Leafy Bow in her hair.

There was no mistaking it.

This was _the _IF. From Hyperdimension Neptunia.

_What's she doing, living and breathing in front of me?_

I kept all this to myself as I walked silently behind her. Despite everything I've seen her do in the games and the anime, she wasn't as strong as I've come to believe. I stopped her attack surprisingly easily, although I don't know why she tried to kill the thing on my shoulder anyway.

_Ah, come to think of it...this thing is called a Dogoo, isn't it?_

Something really bad must have happened to my brain for me to forget the most basic and adorable of the monsters of the Hyperdimension Universe.

"IF! You took a while, so I was getting worr-who's this person?"

A new voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to the source.

It was a blonde haired girl with a respectable bust and a wide smile, completed with a human-sized needle and a black hairband.

No doubt, it was IF's constant friend and companion. Compa, the nurse.

I felt the pressure getting to my head as I tried desperately to process what was going on.

If IF and Compa, two characters from my favorite series, were standing and breathing right in front of me, then that means that I had to be in the Hyperdimension Universe. It made sense, since I was the one who woke up in a place that I didn't recognize.

_Wait a minute...if I'm here, then that means that I'm vulnerable! I'm homeless and broke!_

For sure, I had no means of defending myself. I know almost no one in this world, much less have a place of residence and a source of income. The thought unsettled me, as happy as I was to imagine that I was in the Hyperdimension. I couldn't freeload, and I had no idea as how to earn a living for myself in this world yet.

I felt my vision blur slightly for a moment, and my uneasiness grew even more. I tried to take another step, and my foot gave way under my weight. I fell to my knees, and I grunted in pain as the skin on my left knee cap was slightly scraped by the ground.

I heard the footsteps stop.

A pause.

A small hand reached down to me, holding a pill of some sort that I couldn't recognize. I looked up, and Compa smiled down at me and nodded. I grinned back and took that pill from her hand. I gulped it down with my saliva and stood back up. I felt my strength begin to return, albeit slowly. My headache had begun to ease up, and my vision became sharper and clearer.

"We need to get you to town, first. We can help you once we get there, so hang on." Her kind voice, a stark contrast to IF's somewhat indifferent tone, soothed my mind. I smiled and began walking, a little more slowly since my leg was now slightly injured.

We continued on as the night grew deeper, and the shadows lengthened around us. Before long, the moonlight began to shine its turquoise light onto the path we walked on, and drowsiness began to weigh my mind and body down. As my eyes began to droop down, they started to make out lights in the distance. I felt my body begin to feel a bit stronger, now that civilization was in view.

"Since you seem to need some more medical examination, and since the inn here is full for the time being, you can sleep at our house."

That statement blew my eyes back wide open, and I turned my head to stare at her. IF joined me, her irises nearly exploding in surprise at her words. I could feel the protest about to erupt from IF's lips, but Compa immediately turned to her friend and placed her fingers on IF's mouth to shush her.

"IF, we can't just leave him be." She smiled, but I felt a very commanding and imposing aura begin to emanate from her. I felt my whole body shiver and run cold for an instant, and I immediately took a step back from her.

She scared me. That much, I was ready to admit.

Even IF, whom I've known in my world for being cool, brave and level-headed, stood no chance in the face of this unforeseen obstacle. I could see the sweat glistening on her forehead, and I could feel her superiority in the conversation crumbling.

I made a mental note at that moment.

_Never make Compa mad._

With a sigh of defeat, IF consented to the idea. We continued walking after that, with no one saying a word. The only sound that any of us made was the humming of a melody that Compa herself was letting out.

* * *

In another world, seven people stood around one person in a dark alleyway.

"What do you think you're doing, mocking the Seven Sages!?" One of the seven bellowed, his massive body giving him an intimidation level that surpassed that of ordinary people.

Copypaste.

"I don't like this guy. He gives me bad vibes." Another one of the seven butted in, her little figure contrasting to her nasty tone.

Abnes.

"Can't we just destroy him, and be done with this?" A lady from the group suggested, her fingers flickering with magic and her eyes eager to see the lone figure in their midst eradicated from existence.

Arfoire.

"Now, now. Calm yourselves, everyone. This man says that he has a proposition for us." Another of the seven interrupted, trying his best to keep his colleagues and comrades from going ballistic on their associate.

Mr. Badd.

"He might have something worth hearing out, chu~" Another member added on, his squeaky voice completely destroying any pretense of taking him seriously in this situation.

Pirachu.

"I don't like the idea of destroying a potential asset. And shouldn't you be taking care of this dispute as our leader?" A sixth member said, turning to the last of their group.

Anonydeath.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't let it happen again!" The "leader" of the group responded, apologizing and bowing with as much energy as a little kid would imbue into running around doing nonsensical things.

Rei Ryghts.

A small pause lingered after that, and then the eighth and unaffiliated member of their meeting spoke.

"...what if I were to tell you that there was a way to find and defeat those who mocked you and brought you to your knees?" He spoke, and his voice was low and baritone. Yet, it was charismatic and reeked of experience and authority.

Like he knew what he was talking about.

A silence ensued his statement.

"Bwahahahaha! Do you think you can lead us into working for you?! We've already decided to help the CPUs, and that's that! I don't wanna hear any rambling from you about stuff I don't care about! Besides, it's not so bad being a tea robot, you know!" Copypaste just started laughing and clutching his gut in response.

"Like hell I'd go against that sadistic lady, chu~! My hide's better being under their wing then trying to fight a losing battle." Pirachu retorted to the man, his wings and tail twitching.

"What?! And defeat the little girls I work so hard to protect and care for?! You can just die right now and never come back to life, you fool!" Abnes replied, her voice having gone high and squeaky like the little girls she loved so much.

"I'd rather just go back to my farm right this instant and leave you to rot. As much as I don't like those girls, the idea of fighting them now will do nothing for me or the rest of us." Arfoire spat, her face clearly showing disgust.

"I just want to live a peaceful life now that my little girls are back with me. I don't want to bother with any plotting or fighting with those...inhuman girls anymore." Mr. Badd added, his body quivering at the mere thought of opposing any of those ladies again.

"Hmm...as much as the idea sounds like it would be interesting, you're talking to the wrong fellows here. We've already given up on defeating those girls." Anonydeath said, his back to the wall.

"I'm afraid that calling us here did you no good, sir. We'd like you to stop thinking of things like that and come with us. Reporting you might teach you a lesson or two." Rei responded, drawing out her confidence and refusing the man flat out.

"...it's a shame. If you will not fight those goddesses, then you can just watch the balance of this world become undone. You can watch them fall while you stand, unable to do anything."

As the figure said this, a blackened hole erupted in the wall behind him.

"In the coming days, Gamindustri will face a new kind of threat, and the goddesses themselves will be powerless to stop it. You can just watch it unfold and die when you can no longer draw out the strength to even breath."

As he stepped backwards and into the hole, Rei Ryghts called out to the man. Almost desperately.

"Wait! Who are you?!"

Before he disappeared, his head could be seen in the opening that was already closing behind him.

"You don't need to know anything. My mistress will either tell you the answer before killing you, or kill you before telling your dead body the answer."

And the hole closed up, sealing him away from the Seven Sages.

"The Sages would not be moved, milady."

"Even _she _did not entertain the thought?!"

"No, milady. She thought of nothing but returning to her eggplant farm and living a peaceful life."

"...well, no matter. As long as we can get the true one back, it matters not what happens to that one. Pathetic."

"Very well, milady. Shall I prepare the clones of the Sages?"

"Begin the process right away. It is for the sake of our Goddess."

"Yes, milady."

"Go now, and hasten the development of our new playthings. Our new leaders should enjoy having them on our side."

"I will begin immediately. If you will excuse me."

"I can't wait to have fun! Having those things on our side will make things so easy, it'll be like having a cheat-code to life! Hahahaha!"

"Enough fun and games! I want to crush those goddesses now!"

"Calm yourself. See what our leaders have to listen to. What say you, CFW Linda and CFW Pirachu?"

"We have to wait, chu~! If we rush in, we'll get demolished like my other self in that other Gamindustri."

"Why the hell am I not even a villain in that world, dammit?! It's unfair that only this runt of a rat gets the spotlight!"

"Hey, my parallel self didn't even get a background song and introductory text! I suggest you keep that to yourself, chu~!"

"My parallel self didn't even show up! For all I know, she's either dead or not born yet, if at all!"

"...well, no matter, chu~ Once we have those clones with us, we'll be an even greater force to be reckoned with, chu~!"

"...remind me why there's a cloning device in the Gamindustri Graveyard, guys."

"Don't question good hardware, chu~! If we can use it, then that makes it fine, chu~!"

"Even if we're CFWs now, hardly anything's changed! We're still scrubbing the dirt around, looking for things to use instead of having a real chance at all!"

"CFW Linda. This is all just temporary. Once our Goddess is back, we shall be in power once again, and ASIC will strike fear into the hearts of all."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who tried to kill me!"

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Guys, I noticed that a lot of people have been noting down a few parts of my writing style. I do apologize for the occasional lack of P.O.V Lines. I forget to place them in editing, and I feel like an idiot for doing so._

_However, when I switch P. , I will not be indicating whose P.O.V it is at the start of the switch. This is my style for now._

_Thank you for being understanding, and I hope to see you reading the next chapter._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Purple Heart_


	3. Chapter 2: The Test

**Chapter 2: The Test**

"...nn..."

I moaned and turned in my sleep, drowsiness invading my brain like a hurricane. The soft sensation of the bed was draining my will to rise, and my limbs felt heavier than a stone wall. The smoothness of the blankets and the warmth I felt under the covers were keeping me from being properly conscious. The temptation to lie there forever was a heavy one, and I slowly began to give into it.

And I would've, if my eyes didn't catch a glimpse of something I hadn't expected to see at all.

The color that greeted me was not the dull, greyish shade that comprised the ceiling of my room. Instead, it was a bright navy blue that made my eyes widen in surprise.

That was not the color of the ceiling of my room.

This softness was far different from the sensation of my rough and short blankets. These covers were far too soft, smooth and comfortable.

The memories of the previous night suddenly came back to me, and I felt my breath stop in my chest for a brief and crucial moment.

_I'm not on Earth anymore._

The thought rattled me, and I felt my sleepiness give way to my emotions easily. I rubbed my eyes and sat up from the mattress, and my back suddenly began to miss the warmth and comfort of the bed. Ignoring the feeling of emptiness, I stood up and began folding the sheets.

"You don't have to do that."

I felt my being jump, startled, before I glanced behind me.

I could see IF standing with her back to the wall in a very enigmatic and charismatic way, her arms crossed and her eyes locked on me.

"Even if you're a guest, this is my room. More than an issue of courtesy, I'd rather you don't mess up my bed any more than you already have." She spoke to me, eyeing me in a very suspecting manner.

She doesn't like me that much.

That much I could sense.

"More importantly, are you alright? Sometimes, Compa's nursing can injure the patient more than heal him." IF said, pushing herself off the wall and staring at my body.

For some reason, she looked like she didn't really want to be looking at me. Her face was also a bit red, which mystified me. It also made the atmosphere a little more awkward.

_Why is she-_

I looked down.

My body was bandaged heavily, with gauze lining my chest and lower abdomen. Aware of it now, I could feel the stiffness brought on by the presence of said bandages. I felt my back with my arm, and I could tell that it was also laden with the wrappings.

"Where did-" I began to exclaim, but IF raised her arm and cut me off.

"Last night, we knocked you out with some of Compa's sleep toxins after we reached her house. FYI, that's where we are right now."

"...why?"

"Compa asked me to remove your shirt, and when I did, we found that. Scratches, both deep and light, all over your back and front. Bruises all over your body and legs too."

"Really?" I didn't feel any pain, despite what she was telling me. I checked my arms, and it turned out to be the truth. Large bruises, black and blue, ran down the length of my whole arm. The sight gave me shivers, yet poking them didn't seem to incite any pain in my arm whatsoever.

It felt strange.

"...that's not an amount of injuries that a normal person can survive. Who are you?" She responded, her eyes narrowing. I felt an oppressive aura come out, a sign that she was ready to beat me for the information if she had to.

I didn't know IF for a cruel streak. This was a new characteristic of her that I had yet to see.

"...my name is Akai Gurren. I'm not from Gamindustri."

Silence.

"..."

"..."

IF eyed me with an analytic and cold gaze for an agonizingly long moment, and I thought she might have even drawn her Qatars.

Suddenly, she sighed and smiled at me tiredly. She pushed herself off the wall and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, you're being honest, and that's plus points for you. You don't sound like you're lying, and I've seen stuff involving alternate and parallel dimensions, so it's far more believable then I'd like it to be." She remarked, walking over to her closet.

I felt relief wash over my brain. IF walked past me and opened one of the closet doors, her eyes scrutinizing the contents when she did. She stuck her body into the wardrobe, beginning to rummage through it. I could hear the sound of cloth and steel being pushed aside, and my curiosity rose.

"What are you doing, IF?" I asked her, touching the bandages on my torso consciously.

She stood up, holding up a brown coat and a light blue tee. She tossed them to me, and I caught them deftly.

"You can't go shirtless forever, so I'll give you an old coat that a friend of mine lent me." She said, and she closed the door and opened the door to the room.  
"Now, be sure to put that on. Compa's just about to finish making breakfast."

I nodded, and she shut the door behind her. I was now alone in the room, and I sighed in contentment.

At last, I was alone.

It would give me a little bit of time to think about my present situation, and what I should do next.

This certainly wasn't the best of situations.

I had gotten a pretty good stroke of luck to encounter someone I "know" in this world, so I couldn't waste the time at all.

What I choose to do from here on out will affect my fate.

I put my arms through the coat, feeling the sensation of the aged leather on my skin. I didn't dislike it, but it chafed me a bit as I moved within the fabric.

It looked a lot like IF's coat, except that it fit me perfectly. Hers was a few sizes too big.

It was warm though, so I wasn't complaining at all.

I went through the door and walked through the house, admiring all of the fixtures and the girly ornaments of the walls and the ceilings. The walls were yellow and orange, a very cheery color that suited the nurse. As I passed the narrow hallway where the door to the bathroom was, a portrait of Compa and an old man stared at me from the wall painting.

They both smiled at me very kindly. His eyes were very soft and gentle-looking.

_He must be Compa's grandfather, the one that she mentioned every now and then._

I entered what looked like the kitchen, and I smelled the wafting aroma of food.

"Good morning!"

Compa's cheery voice was muffled by the food in her mouth, the aroma telling me that it was a very delicious serving of pancakes and maple syrup. She and IF were seated opposite to each other at the table, IF taking small bites of her food with her eyes closed. Compa, on the other hand, was slicing each pancake in half, drizzling it in the golden brown syrup, and then delivering the whole thing to her hungry mouth.

It was adorable, if one overlooked the lack of etiquette.

A third plate sat on another empty seat, steaming with its own pile of pancakes, and the sound of my stomach was louder than I wanted to admit. Compa immediately giggled in response and poured a cup of iced tea for me. I noticed lemons drifting in the mixture, and my thirst began to ache for its relief.

I sat down eagerly and began cutting pieces of my food. I thrust the forkful of pancake into my mouth, and I felt myself smile by reflex as the sweet flavor of the food blossomed within my taste buds.

"Mm! This is pretty good!" I exclaimed between chomps and sips of iced tea. The flavor of the lemon and the cold tea refreshed my system, and I felt energized like nothing else.

"Well, that's to be expected. Compa is a domestic goddess! She can cook, clean, do laundry, and everything else you can possibly ask for!" IF's voice took on a bragging tone.

I couldn't help but feel like it was the kind of scene where a husband is bragging about his wife's housework.

"In other words, Compa is a very ideal wife."

It took me a moment to realize what I had just said.

"W-well, I-it's the first time a b-boy has ever said that about m-me...I don't really know how to respond to that..." Compa, blushing a bright red, averted her gaze from me and placed another fork of pancake into her mouth, fidgeting as she did.

"Did you say that on purpose? Or are you trying to mess with Compa?" IF said, glowering as she did. Her eyes practically lit up with possessiveness, and she leered at me. I felt my body crane backwards in instinctive fear, and I cursed myself for saying something so strange by reflex.

"No no no, I was just trying to describe how you were describing her. You sounded a lot like a husband bragging about his wife." I remarked, trying to get IF away from me.

The words held more power than I thought they would.

IF immediately reacted by sitting back in her chair violently, slamming her hand onto the table. Compa reacted by looking at her with a hard-to-describe look. Before IF could yell whatever she thought of yelling, she suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, and they were now full of calm.

"...all that aside, I want to hear more about you."

I started with my history, from my childhood all the way to the events of what happened yesterday. I left the part out about playing a game where they were the characters, since saying that might make them more conscious.

They kept their eyes on me as I spoke, not saying a single word and taking occasional sips from their drinks since their plates had been cleaned already.

When I finished, IF sat back in her chair and sighed.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of something digital. I perked my ears in response, and IF pulled a wooden stick out of thin air and tossed it to me.

It was merely a long, cleanly carved stick. In the middle, cloth was tightly wrapped around it. It made for a pretty good walking stick as well, and I could tell that it had been used for that purpose.

"Come with me, and bring that with you." IF stood up and said that with a colder tone than earlier. She turned and exited the kitchen, and Compa stood up in protest and followed her. I cocked my head questioningly, not understanding what she meant, and followed her as well.

She led me to the grassy plain close to the house, which was whistling with pleasant wind currents. I felt my face being caressed by the gales as I stood opposite of IF.

She threw her arms downward, and her Qatars flashed out of her coat sleeves. She raised one and pointed it at me, and her eyes grew menacing.

* * *

_I want to check._

This boy, Akai Gurren, was claiming he was from another world. Which was actually pretty fine. It's happened before, a bunch of times. Plutia was still visiting our world very frequently, and Neptune was spending a lot of time on their side as well.

What seemed off to me was how he had blocked my weapons before with his method and fighting style.

A night before, he had stopped my trained strike with his fingers.

And I had been using a bladed weapon, and he had been barehanded.

It made no sense to me, and my pride as a Guild Member and a fighter was not willing to let it go just yet.

Some normal kid who was able to stop me so easily. It didn't seem right.

I felt my eyebrows narrow as I gazed at Akai, whose confused and complacent expression ticked me off for some incomprehensible reason.

"See if you can beat me." Was all I said before I began dashing at him.

My speed was not normal, having been enhanced after my fights alongside Neptune and the others. I was confident that I could outpace this lone young man with no trouble.

"IF! Why are you-" Compa began calling out from the side, still protesting. I drowned her out from my hearing, focusing directly on the boy.

My eyes immediately went to his legs.

There.

That tension.

That footwork as he began his preparatory stance.

No way was he an amateur.

I watched his stance and his movements.

As I approached him, he took a step back with his left foot. He spun the staff once before grabbing onto it with his left hand. He held it vertically, aligning it with his shoulderblades as he watched me.

As I saw his gaze on me, I suddenly felt...vulnerable.

It was like his eyes were pre-empting whatever moves I was planning to make. I got that foreboding feeling, and I wavered slightly.

It was like he could read my moves.

I felt that feeling, as if I were being stripped naked and being watched from all sides. It was really unnerving, and I did my best to shake it off and rush him.

"Hah!" With a yell, I took a sudden dash to my left and flanked him. I struck the ground with a strong kick and vaulted over Akai's body and attempted to strike the side of his head with my Qatar as I passed overhead.

_Surely he can't figure out how to block this sequence!_

The idea was actually simpler than it looked.

I would attack him with an overhead passing strike to rattle his defense. Then, when I land, I would immediately use a sweeping attack with my legs to knock him off his feet.

It was a simple, two-hit combo.

Yet it was difficult to read just how it would work through simply watching. None of my peers have ever been able to block this move on the first try.

I swung my arm hard at his head.

Immediately, he leaned backwards and raised the wooden staff. He angled it so that my blade would shear against the side and be redirected away from his body. My flight path was altered slightly so that it would veer a bit to the left, and I couldn't rein in my surprise.

_Did he do that on purpose?_

I quickly adjusted and performed a somersault, landing on my two feet in a crouching position. I quickly spun on my heel and attempted to strike the back of his ankles. I felt my foot make contact with something hard, and my momentum stopped completely.

I looked up, and I saw his wooden staff.

He had brought it down in time and stopped my foot just before it had struck him using the wood.

I quickly exerted strength into my other foot and leaped away from him, skidding in the ground. I made a good distance from him, about forty yards, before I began to reassert control over myself.

_He read it!_

Suddenly, my eyes caught a glimpse of his face tightening his expression as he crouched low. He pounced at me, holding the staff behind him with one hand in the center, and I couldn't believe how much distance he had covered in that single bound.

I raised my Qatars to recover from my shock, only to defend myself against Akai slamming the wooden stick onto my weapons. I felt waves jar my arms, making them feel numb.

Suddenly, he grabbed one end of the staff and planted it into the dirt as he landed directly in front of me. Using it as leverage, he jumped back into the air and towards me with a kick in mind.

I let my body take over, and I quickly bent backwards and stabbed my Qatars into the dirt below me to sustain my body. His body sailed over mine, and the kick evaded my head and instead struck the grass.

I was about to spin around and attack him again when he turned around and twirled the staff. As I attempted to make some distance between us, he performed a sharp stabbing strike with the blunt end of the staff.

It struck my shin, and I felt the pain blaze a trail up my leg. I batted it away with my arm and hopped backwards, wincing as I landed on my injured shin.

He rushed me without warning, and my mind went into panic mode. I tried to step back, but he immediately spun his staff and performed a spinning sweep with it. He yanked my foot upwards, and I struck the ground headfirst.

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the blue sky and the clouds.

_I...lost?_

* * *

I hadn't expected her to suddenly attack me.

I had to admit, she surprised completely when she started charging me and attempting to cleave my head from my skull.

At least, that's what I assumed she was doing.

I had reacted by pure reflex alone, and I had even managed to injure IF in the process.

I hate myself.

Not only did I somehow make IF hate me enough to challenge me to a duel, but I even injured her sharply. I know, since I did feel the strike hit her body very soundly. The vibration that I had felt when the staff made contact, along with her expression at the time, told me that I had impaired her very well.

If any pride existed in her as a fighter and a Guild Member, it would be terribly wounded.

And sure enough, her eyes were staring at me like she couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

I sighed and twirled the stick in my right hand as I looked it over. It was clearly aged, yet it was also well taken care of. There was now a big scratch on the side where the blade of IF's Qatar had sheared off the side.

If I wasn't mistaken, judging by the looks of it, what I was holding was the old walking stick of Compa's grandfather.

I looked back at Compa, who was now at IF's side and checking her leg. Her expression was less concerned about her injury, and more intent on scolding her for her surprising behavior.

I couldn't help but feel partly responsible.

"Hey, are you alright, IF?" I asked, walking closer to her. She just looked at me with a blank look and averted her gaze.

"She's alright, but she won't be walking around on this leg for a few hours." Compa replied for her, pulling out a few bandages from her pocket and wrapping her leg with them.

I decided to disregard that and I began to wonder what exactly I should do. An idea struck me and I turned towards IF.

"Hey, IF. Could you tell me more about your Guild Work?"

"...okay?"

"...and so?"

"What?" He looked back at me with a very clueless look like he had no idea what I was talking about.

We were now walking back from one of the Guild's branch buildings.

I hadn't expected him to sign up for Guild Work at all.

_Well...with his skills, he'd be more of an asset than a liability._

"What is your intention for joining the Guild at all, though? I can't tell what you're trying to do." To be honest, a small part of me still can't accept my loss to him. I haven't lost to anything against ambushes and really strong monsters.

Losing to this boy...didn't quite click with me.

But I knew better than to hold any kind of childish grudge or personal vendetta against someone who has no idea of what he did. He didn't even aim to beat me, just to get the fight over with. In that situation, I would've beaten him down badly given the chance.

It makes me feel a little guilty for allowing my childish pride to get in the way of trying to understand him and his situation.

But one thing kept bothering me above anything else.

I took another sidelong glance at him, taking care to make sure that he didn't notice. I focused my gaze on his eyes, which were the subject of my curiosity and my interest.

His eyes were different from anything I've ever seen.

They were...iridescent.

They weren't a single color, instead flashing through the whole spectrum of color as they moved and blinked.

It was almost unsettling to look at him directly. Like something entirely _different _was looking at me.

"Hmm...well, if I'm going to end up living in Gamindustri for a good long while, then I should secure resources. Money, a place to live and other things." He responded, seeming to be deep in thought. His eyes looked to the sky, and they seemed faraway.

_That's true._

_Wait, you're not gonna freeload in Compa's house?"_

"Wait, you're not gonna-" At the last possible moment, I managed to keep my lips shut.

"...the thought is appealing in its own right, I have to admit. You are the only people I actually know in this world." He said, and I felt my eyes widen.

I couldn't tell what kind of expression I was making right now.

"But...I can't impose on either of you. It's unbecoming of me as a man, as well. So I need to find a place to stay, so I can give you girls the privacy you want." He smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head as he continued to walk.

_He was actually thinking of us...and being so considerate._

I couldn't help but want to help him, now that he's shown me this side of him.

He was a genuinely nice person, unlike the people that have tended to approach me. When I had to work with men in the Guild's mission, I quickly developed a preference of working with women.

Men were disgusting, thinking of nothing but money, power and how to get lucky.

Akai, though, seemed different.

I found myself preferring his presence beside me rather than letting him run wild with those kinds of men in the Guild.

"...actually, I wouldn't mind you staying with us."

_What the hell am I saying?!_

I immediately averted my gaze from him, not letting him see my eye to eye. If I did, I fear for what his hypnotic iridescent eyes would do to me.

"No, I couldn't. I need to adjust to this world, and fast. I appreciate the offer, but I can't let myself be a heavy load on other people. And especially you, IF."

I felt my legs stop moving for a moment, and I tried my best to fight off the feminine sensations my body was experiencing. The racing of my pulse and the heat emanating from my cheeks. The capability of misunderstanding what he had just said.

I knew that he was just being friendly. Being kind. Considerate.

I knew that, yet the weird feelings kept resurfacing when I put them down.

I'd begun to grow more conscious of him as we walked home more and more. I was conscious of how fast he was walking, where he was looking, and how his body moved as he strode forward alongside me.

_...is this kind of thing the reason why I want him to stay with us at Compa's house?_

It would be selfish of me to press my desires onto him any more than I already have.

I treated him coldly since day one, and even let my foolish pride force me to challenge him to a battle. One that I even lost, and a part of me didn't quite want to acknowledge quite yet.

Maybe...I wanted to stay by him longer just to see if he was worthy of acknowledging.

My new title in the Guild was not just for show. It was one that I'd earned through diligence, hard work and plenty of battles.

My new title, The Assassin of the Howling Wind, was not one I would allow to be sullied by the defeat of some kid that didn't even have a place in the Guild.

I felt my competitive spirit begin to rise, and I smiled. It felt feral...very instinctive. No doubt, the smile of a predator was on my face.

It didn't feel bad.

"I thank you for the thought, but I still want to get a place of my own." He said, smiling again and raising a single eyebrow. "I do need the privacy of a man, after all."

"That's true, then." I responded, and my voice came out rather meekly. Almost docile. It contrasted starkly to the expression I was making and the emotion I felt.

"Alright, I'm gonna give you a good tip about the Guild Work then, if that's the case."

He turned towards me, and I smiled proudly and puffed out my chest

"Quests are requests that given by citizens and residents of Gamindustri. They can be taken by anyone, even those who are not part of the Inner Guild. This is a very common way to earn money, since problems are always rising around Gamindustri that the CPUs themselves may be too busy to handle."

"Every person who registers themselves with the Guild has something known as a Quest Rank. This is like a clearance pass that allows you take Quests of the same rank as yours. They range from Ranks _**E**_ to _**A**_, and rise in difficulty as you go further. All newbies start out at _**E**_, while veterans, regulars and pros tend to go for the higher ranks. The higher the rank, the harder the requirements are for clearing it. However, with risk comes reward, and the Quest Rewards given after clearance will also be promising."

"There are two kinds of Quests: Gathering Quests and Elimination Quests. For the Gathering Quests, the person who takes the Quest has to obtain a specific item or a specific number or variety of items. After which, they simply give it back to the Client. Elimination Quests, on the other hand, are where we are tasked to fight and eliminate monsters causing the Client trouble."

"Hmm...well, nothing I don't know..." I heard him mumble under his breath, and I felt my eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"So, what else about the Guild do you know that I might have missed out on?" I asked Akai, turning to him with a smirk on my face.

I've already said everything that needs to be said about the Guild workings. No way was there something I'd missed.

Akai gave me an exasperated smile and put his finger on his chin, trailing into deep thought.

"Ah. People can also take on Quests either in groups or individually. When an individual takes on the Quest and clears it, the reward goes to him or her alone. But when a group turns in the reward, it is up to the group to determine how the reward will split, because the reward is the same regardless." He responded, raising his finger in revelation as he did.

_Th-this guy!_

He'd mentioned something I'd forgotten.

He smiled back at me again, this time sheepishly and a little guiltily.

"Now...mind helping me find a weapon and some sort of protection?"


	4. Chapter 3: Initiation Gone Wrong

**Chapter 3: Initiation Gone Wrong**

It's already been a week since that time.

I've already registered myself with the Guild, and I had tried doing a few simple Quests. They bordered on the level of being everyday good deeds, such as getting lost cats and helping people with their plumbing.

It was a little disappointing, but it paid well.

I already knew that the currency of Gamindustri was known as _Credits_, and I had more than 50,000 of them in my wallet. My hands had been dirtied with the constant task of dirtying them for people who didn't like filthy work, though.

IF also helped me with some of it, but she didn't ask for any rewards or help. She seemed satisfied enough with helping me, even though it riddled me with guilt.

It seems about time I found myself my own place.

But first...

I was in the weapons shop.

The girl on the other side of the counter-top was just chewing gum and blowing gum bubbles as I walked through the selection of weaponry.

There were daggers, swords and maces. Selections of rifles and pistols, as well as many different kinds of ranged weapons like bows and crossbows.

I...actually didn't know what to buy.

It was a really strange predicament. But if I were to start taking Elimination Quests, then I need a helpful weapon. It was a tough choice, though.

I heard the jingle of the bells over the door, and I shot a glance at the entrance.

"Yo." It was IF, and she smiled at me in a very friendly manner. She approached me, and she gave me a high five. I returned it and turned back to the weapon racks.

"Trying to find a suitable weapon doesn't seem to be working out well. I don't know what to get." I confessed, feeling a little disappointed in myself. I hung my head in sad resignation as I took another glance at the displays.

I heard her grunt in acknowledgment and walk past me. I raised my head and watched her as she began looking through the weapon racks. She hummed, nodded, shook her head and frowned several times. After a solid minute, she walked back to me. She strode, passing by me, and grabbed the collar of my coat as she did. Before I knew it, I was being dragged forcefully out of the store.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" I responded, grabbing IF's hand and attempting to wrest myself away from her grip. I failed miserably, as her fingers were iron-hard and well-muscled.

Even with that, her fingers were still smooth and thin. The feel of a woman's hand.

"I'm taking you somewhere that can get you a much better idea of what weapon you might want, as well as how to get a better handle on weapons in general. It will also teach you a few things you'd be better off knowing."

I had a bad feeling about this.

IF's been telling me about the Inner Guild ever since I'd registered for Quests, and how I should take the initiation test to see what they think. I wasn't really against the idea, but I was questioning the idea of getting involved with an organization whose origins and goals were something I knew nothing of.

"Fine, I'll use as an incentive. I'm going to tell you an interesting tidbit of information, so listen up."

"For simulation's purposes, the Inner Guild requested to the Basilicom that a specific type of weapon be made by the Item Development Department."

Those words made me slightly more interested in what she had to say, and I slid out of my coat and began walking alongside her. She handed me back the coat, continuing her statement.

"It is a prototype weapon that integrates itself into the mind of the user. When you focus your thoughts onto the weapon and "will" it into the form you want it to take, it interprets the signals from your brain that we refer to as the "will" and turns that into electronic commands that function within the device. It then transforms into what you want it to. Fun, right?"

It sounded extremely overpowered, to me.

"It's one of the most practical weapons, as its dormant state is small enough to fit into a person's pocket. It can even be willed into a bracelet or a necklace or something similar for its dormancy. However, it is also a weapon treated with a lot of care and suspicion, since people don't exactly trust it."

"Why is that? It sounds very useful."

"Well, it's a weapon that gets into your mind and reads it. If something were go wrong, the user's head will be at very real risk. Not to mention, the weapon itself is still a prototype and the development has been stopped because of the rumors surrounding it. It might not even be a good weapon in a certain sense because it may not be strong as other weapons that you might want it to emulate. If you choose to wield a sword, there may be better options for a sword in the Store, for example." IF explained, her tone level and explanatory.

Disregarding the risks, the weapon itself interested me greatly.

"I like the idea, though. It's perfect for indecisive people. Though...how is this incentive? If it's used for initiation, there's no way I can keep it for myself." I commented, noting a fatal flaw in the idea.

IF just smiled in response.

"I can pull a few strings. If I can't get you the weapon itself or get the Item Development Dept. to start working on the models again, then I can get you the blueprints for creating it, at the least. If that's the worst-case scenario, I can refer you to a person who can make anything, even that weapon."

Only one person came to mind when she said that.

One person I knew in Gamindustri was capable of making "anything".

* * *

"You want Gust to make prototype weapon for this boy?

I had been right about my assumptions of who the person was.

The Alchemist of the _Makers_, Gust.

Not only was she one of the youngest characters in the whole group, she was one of the smartest. Gifted in the arts of Alchemy, she was also a great haggler and a dangerous person to deal with. At the worst, Gust is capable of blackmailing her friends with a smile on her face.

I had not expected her to be one of the Inner Guild, though. She was a traveler by her trade, and she actually lived in Lastation. At least, that's what I recall from the times back in my room when I played the games.

If I was not mistaken, I was currently in Planeptune. Since Compa and IF are living here, it was a safe assumption.

What she was doing in Planeptune, being part of a high-scale organization, was beyond me.

"Not exactly...not yet, actually. Since you're the current President of the Item Development Department, do you know if there are plans for the prototype weapon?"

Standing in front of me, IF had placed her hands on the brown wooden table and leaned towards Gust.

We were standing in what seemed like Gust's office. It was a very interesting room, being very wide despite being an office room. It was located on the highest floor of the Guild Building.

I could tell it was Gust's room once I saw the door, though. There were free potion samples hanging on a basket on the front, along with a legal document that looked like it made sure that Gust wouldn't be held responsible for whatever negative side effects happen to the sampler. Somehow, it also held a document that would entail that any positive side effects were intended to happen, and that Gust was legally entitled to claim responsibility for whatever happened.

I wasn't stupid enough to try one. Neither was IF.

The room looked fittingly childish, with the color of the walls being light blue. The carpeting was mahogany brown, and it looked very fluffy and soft. When I walked over it, my feet sank into the cloth very slowly. The ceiling was white, with light pink accents all over it.

There were various couches and cushions, each of which had various different designs on them. On the childish table on the right, there was a tea set ready for use.

It was made of white porcelain, clearly, with sky blue accents all over the exterior.

On the various tables, there were ingredients and half-filled potion vials and pots strewn about quite messily.

Gust looked back at IF with eyes that twinkled greedily. I could sense the blackmail and the haggling conspire in the very aura she emitted. She placed both of her elbows on the table, her hands meeting in front of her face. Her gloves, far larger than her actual hands, made it seem more amusing than it was foreboding.

"...I know that the production was suspended for safety purposes."

I felt the surprise emanate from IF, and she widened her eyes appropriately. She opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it and narrowed her eyebrows.

"Okay. Then...do you have access to the original blueprints of the prototype?" IF pressed on, her tone becoming a little more concerned.

"...let Gust make deal with you as member of Inner Guild, Iffy."

I saw IF's eyebrow twitch for an instant at the mention of the nickname, and her expression changed into a slightly more menacing one.

"Not that nickname again, Gust."

"Anyway, here is proposition."

She leaned a little more forwards, and she also beckoned for me to come even closer. I complied, treading the floor cautiously. I moved in closer, and she spoke again.

"Boy, take initiation test for Inner Guild. You will get to see weapon up close anyway, and you will get to use weapon. Try out weapon for trial run. See if weapon will link with mind well. There have been cases of initiates who have not linked with weapon. Worst cases include brain damage, so it be best if you attempt using prototype first."

What she was saying made enough sense for me to reconsider taking the test. IF had begun switching her stare at me with intent eyes, full of some sort of complicated emotion I couldn't really identify.

I sighed deeply.

_Looks like that test will actually be something I have to take after all._

Gust just looked at me with this scrutinizing look, placing her hands back onto the table and shifting them. I met her gaze, staring into her brown eyes with my own. As I did, her eyes widened in shock. She jumped off of her seat and walked over to me, standing on the table to match my height.

She drew her face closer to mine, making me painfully aware of how cute she was despite being extremely young and short. I tried my best to remain in absolute control of my body, as letting myself blush in front of this child would be a viable way to get me arrested. I took a step back, and she straightened back up and turned to IF.

"...hmm...your eyes are very interesting, boy. Nothing I've ever seen before. Hmm...you'll make interesting test subject. Be sure to bring boy back once test is done, IF." Gust responded before walking to her seat and sitting down.

She nodded silently, and started for the door. I began to follow her when I heard an extremely loud explosion rattle my ears. The building shook around us, and I heard a feminine scream pierce the air near me. My senses picked up on an incoming object, and I instinctively threw my arms out and braced my legs. As soon as my knees got comfortable, I felt a weight slam into my outstretched arms.

It was soft, somewhat light and warm to the touch.

I opened my eyes, only to see IF in my arms. I was holding her in a princess-style carry in order to prevent her from falling. As she locked eyes with mine at near-point-blank, we stared at each other for a good while. Our noses were close enough to touch if one leaned slightly forward, and I could feel her breath on mine.

A few seconds later, a high-pitched scream of embarrassment deafened my ears. In the next few seconds, I felt my cheek burn with intense pain before my consciousness shut down abruptly.

* * *

It's already been a few hours.

Thank to my position in the Guild, I'd managed to secure the chance for Akai to actually take the initiation test. If he actually managed to succeed in the test, he would become a member of the Inner Guild.

Even if he was new, to this world and the way it worked, I had a good and a bad feeling about all of this.

I knew that Akai had extreme skill and potential in his fighting ability, being strong and skillful enough to defeat me trivially. It was almost frustrating because I knew that it took a great gap in ability for him to defeat me so easily.

He was going easy on me that time. I knew he was.

People who take the initiation test simply take several different kinds of tests.

One is a simply physical ability test in the simulation room where he'd be able to test the prototype weapon for himself. He would forced to fight against a preset simulation of a monster. How he fights it, how fast he defeats it, and IF he defeats it all. That was the measurement of that test.

The second test is a test of brains. In order to measure his mental strength and resistance and fear, he will subjected to several different experiences through the use of a simulation. How he responds will affect his grade.

The third test is a test of tactics and teamwork. In order to see how well he can work with fellow guild members, he will be assigned a specific role in a squadron and fulfill the requirements of a certain mission.

The fourth and final test is a written test that will distinguish other abilities that may prove useful.

I felt my fidget a bit in nervousness.

I was one of the leaders of the Inner Guild as one of the _Makers_, and I had managed to procure a position where I was able to watch Akai take the tests. The other people watching are old and new Inner Guild members as well as other unregistered members of the Outer Guild.

To my right, I could see Gust. She was also one of the council, being the Item Development Department President as well, so she was allowed to observe as well.

To my left, Compa watched on with her normal innocent smile. Despite her looks and her other job, Compa was the most skilled medic of the Inner Guild and the head of the _Medical_ branch of the _Support_ branch of the Inner Guild. As such, she was also permitted to watch as well.

"I see that another test is taking place, IF."

A small, yet very wise and aged, voice rang out from behind me. I turned around to greet the source.

A small fairy-like woman who was shorter than most people in the whole of Gamindustri whose sole everlasting companion was a really important book. Knowledgeable of all the affairs in the nation of Planeptune more than anyone else, even the leader of the nation, and smarter than most others.

"What brings you here today, Lady Histoire?" I bowed out of reflex, and the other Guild Members in the observatory room followed my lead. She gestured for us to lift our heads, and I smiled and withdrew my arm.

"I'm simply visiting the Guild today. I heard that there was another initiation test taking place today." She responded and floated to the spot in the air next to my head.

"I see."

* * *

I was now standing the middle of a large square room. The whole place was white, with several levels of windows that were peering down on me.

The floor, ceilings and the walls were all white. Metal, even. It looked like it was meant to protect the whole room from whatever might happen inside.

Suddenly, a loud voice came out over the speakers.

"Um...your name is Akai Gurren, correct?" The voice was a man's, and clearly one who was meant to be telling me what was supposed to be happening. It sounded a little high-pitched in comparison to most men's voices.

"Correct." I responded shortly.

"You will now be handling the prototype weapon that is used to form any weapon you wish. Be careful, as the weapon must link with your mind. If it causes any pain or any kind of negative side effects, be sure to tell me."

As he said that, a small square in the floor suddenly disappeared. A pedestal suddenly rose up to my abdomen's height in front of me.

On it...

There was a syringe.

_A syringe?_

It was filled completely with a completely transparent fluid that shone with the colors of the rainbow as I moved it. Curious, I picked it up with my fingers and moved it closer to my face.

The needle was not even that long. It was around an inch in length and so thin it was almost like paper.

"Please inject that into your bloodstream." The frail-sounding voice instructed, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the idea of an IT worker as I listened to the voice.

I braced myself and stuck the needle into my right arm, injecting the contents straight into my vein.

* * *

"Status of the prototype?"

"According to the information we're streaming out of his bloodstream, it's still trying to settle within his body. So far, it's fusing with no problems."

"Good. How's the mental and physical state?"

"All parameters are functioning as well as they did before he took the serum. No issues here, either."

"This isn't the difficult part yet, guys. Keep an eye out when the mixture begins to enter his brain."

I just stood there in the technical aspect of the observatory room, taking a look at what the scientists and the techies were examining.

From what it looked like, it seemed like they were monitoring his body systems.

I could see numbers, charts and meters all across the screens, monitoring just how successfully it was fusing with his body.

I had a strange feeling about this.

The numbers were steadily increasing.

I felt my eyes widen when the numbers reached 100%.

Likewise, everyone in the room suddenly went silent.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of excited chatter break across the whole room.

I heard buttons being pressed, and the picture of a horribly familiar monster suddenly appeared on the screen.

My mind switched to panic mode, and I ran back to the window. Only one word was scarred into my mind.

_Akai!_

* * *

I felt my eyes widen when a very familiar face materialized in front of me.

A large face like an abnormally sized lizard. Fangs and claws sharp enough to rend humans into bloody tatters. Scales that could deflect metal like wood deflects water.

An _**Ancient Dragon**_

One of the most powerful monsters in Gamindustri ever since the first game up until the last.

_They sure don't know how to hold back, huh?_

I began strafing the dragon cautiously, watching his movements. The dragon was not being aggressive, instead watching me and remaining still. Its large and brown sickle-shaped claws were shining in the light of the simulation room.

Its eyes were monitoring me carefully, and its tail twitched unconsciously.

It seemed...wary of me.

I didn't understand why. I was small fry. I was very miniscule in its eyes, and its predatory instincts should lead to it attempting to eat me.

But it wasn't.

I was later corrected when the dragon roared and breathed fire at me.

I rolled to the left, evading the stream of flames being tossed at me. I felt the intense amount of heat wash over my body as I rolled, and it made my skin immediately break out into a sweat all over.

I was outmatched. Clearly. It was painfully obvious.

I began running circles around the monster, evading its flames by a hairsbreadth. I rolled under its claws and leaped over its tail whenever it attacked me with those as well. It soon turned into a game of endurance where the victor would be clear. Very clear.

I felt my lungs begin to burn after the umpteenth time of evading its path, and I skidded to a stop behind it. I couldn't afford to run away forever, but anything on the level of hand-to-hand was practically useless on an Ancient Dragon. I had to use a weapon.

But that needle ended up injecting me with the prototype of a weapon that I didn't know how to use.

"Akai Gurren!"

Suddenly, the squeaky voice of the man from earlier blared over the speakers and circulated the room, catching both my attention and the attention of the powerful monster in the room.

Both of our heads swiveled around in reflex, in an attempt to find the source.

"Imagine the weapon you want to use!"

I narrowed my eyebrows at those words.

_Is it like those fantasy action stories where the hero was able to materialize the weapon of his choice simply through his imagination and willpower? Is that why it was in the form of a serum I had to inject into myself?_

Thinking back on it, it seemed somewhat likely. If I abandoned all pretenses of the real world's common sense and realism, that is.

I held out my hand and focused on an image in my head. The image of a classic weapon that my ancestors and my people were extremely fond of. In a small explosion of pixels, I felt the handle come into being under my touch, and I placed strength into my fingers and wrapped them around the hilt.

Whipping the weapon out of the air and into my other hand, I admired it. It wasn't anything fancy.

Just a normal two-handed _katana_.

I tightened my grip around the sheath and unsheathed the blade, admiring the light that sparkled off of the shining steel. I swung it experimentally, and the sword whistled and hummed delightfully as it sliced through the air. Light and strong.

_Perfect._

I held my blade out forward and aimed it at the monster's face, and it glared back at me with a predator's eyes. I heard the room suddenly whistle, as if a massive vacuum cleaner had begun to work on it. It was the sound of the inhaling of the Ancient Dragon.

I felt the entire room shudder, and the lack of air suddenly became very pronounced.

I mustered a good amount of my strength, pushing it all into my legs, and leaped to the right. I felt the pain spike up my shoulder as my jump took me all the way to the wall, and I hit it hard.

I'm glad I leaped that far.

Instantly, the entire room to my left was coated and painted in a sea of fire. The heat rushed over my face and my body, and I squinted my face in the face of the intense brightness of the flames.

Ignoring the flames, I braced myself and jumped onto the wall and began running forward on it. Admiring the ninja-like footwork that would never work back on Earth that I was managing to pull off, I sprinted forth and closed in on the Ancient Dragon.

My eyes ran over its whole body, scanning for weaknesses or specific points I could attack that would injure it severely. As they did, my eyes fixed onto a small patch of pixels that were located at the base of its tail.

If there was anything that screamed the word "weakness", this was it.

I pushed myself off the wall and rolled to cushion my fall, landing directly next to its left leg. It wasn't done breathing fire, and I could feel the room temperature soar up to levels that could make me pass out if I were to let it go on uninterrupted.

I focused on the patch of pixels.

It was as if it hadn't managed to materialize all the way, and this particular part was like a gap in the flesh of the creature that was constantly letting out miniscule pixels. The inside of the patch, where the body of the tail would normally be, was blue and composed of pixels.

I swung my sword at it, striking the inside of the gap as hard as I could.

Instantly, the room went from its red, blue and orange color to its original white paint job as the creature suddenly howled and stopped the stream of flames.

I jumped away as the tail of the creature dropped onto the floor and dissolved into blue particles, jumping onto the wall and kicking off of that towards the face of the howling monster.

I spun horizontally and performed a sideways slash to the dragon's snout, and I felt the blade cut very swiftly and easily through the creature's skin. I planted my feet onto the Ancient Dragon's nose and leaped off of that, somersaulting once before landing on the floor.

If a dragon could glare at you with hatred, then I'm pretty sure that this one would've been glowering with it.

I held out my other hand in the air, and I wrapped my fingers around another handle. I whipped another _katana_ out of the air, this one not having a sheath. I crossed both and stared back up at the menace towering above me.

* * *

I was in full out panic mode.

"Akai!" I heard myself scream as I slammed my fists onto the glass window separating him from me. I turned back to the scientists who were now murmuring and chattering amongst themselves, not paying heed to the scene below. Frantically, I looked to the nearest one and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"He's going to die down there if we don't do something! He hasn't fought anything yet, and you put an Ancient Dragon in the same room as him!"

The scientist stared blankly at me, as if he weren't sure what to say in response. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see a familiar face.

She smiled at me with her signature, somewhat air-headed, grin and let her fist fly at the window. The glass, having been reinforced to withstand great impacts and damage, shattered and flew outwards at the impact of her punch. Without a second thought, she somersaulted out of the window, her red scarf fluttering in the wind as she did.

I sighed and drew my Qatars, following her. I leaped out of the window and eyed the Dragon on my way down.

_He can't beat that thing on his own._

* * *

I heard the sound of glass shattering and a really loud yell. I looked up, and I spotted who the voice belonged to.

Blue hair, a red scarf, black leather suit and yellow goggles that she never really wore.

It was one of the _Makers _and one of the stronger ones in combat, the Hero of Justice (or what she liked to call herself), Nisa.

"Taste the power of my Justice Kick!"

With that yell, she descended onto the Ancient Dragon from behind with a glowing foot and performed a falling ace kick onto its back.

It looked painful, that's for sure. The yellow light left behind a trail that remained in the air for a good while before it faded away.

The dragon roared in pain and attempted to turn around, trying to strike her in midair with its large brown claws. She kicked off of the dragon's back and somersaulted out of the path of the attack, jumping off the wall and rolling under the dragon's legs and sprinting over to me.

"Hey there! I'm Nisa, the free-roaming spirit of justice who helps those in need!" She said cheerily, breaking the tense and cautious atmosphere. I couldn't help but smile reflexively and wave at her in a friendly manner. She responded in a friendly manner as well, waving and even flying at my hand to hit it for a high five.

I couldn't help but think that it was somewhat unexpected and expected as well.

"Why are you here? This is my test."

"Actually, something seems to have gone wrong with the testing and the scientists upstairs. They're all in a panic that is also mixed with some sort of excitement. I only understand that you could die down here if no one comes down to help you." She responded, tightening her gloves.

"Die?" I responded, the tension in the word being heavier than the moment Nisa had said it.

"Yeah. It's weighing pretty heavily on her mind too." She pointed upwards, and I followed the direction where her finger pointed.

IF was running down the wall where I could see a broken window, her Qatars shining and displayed from her massive coat sleeves. Within the span of a few seconds she reached the floor and ran over to us.

"Akai! Are you alright?" Her eyes were wavering in place.

She must have been really worried.

"I'm fine." I said, and I placed my hand on the top of her head and patted her like a dog. She turned red and batted away my hand with the side of her Qatar.

"In any case, you can't beat that thing on your own!" IF said, facing the Ancient Dragon and taking her battle stance.

I smiled and gripped my two _katanas_ harder, throwing my gaze back to the creature that loomed over us. It roared back at us menacingly, and I felt my pulse quicken in response. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Nisa's right arm glow with yellow light as she took her own fighting stance.

_Who knew my first fight was going to be against an Ancient Dragon?_


	5. Chapter 4: Initiation Complete

_Hey there, guys. I'm so deeply sorry I made you wait for so long. I AM still a student, and school is really shooting its guns at me. If it couldn't get worse, I had recently lost the ability to motivate myself. And so, I apologize one final time for delaying the release of the next chapter._

_Oh, I'm working with another author on this website on another Hyperdimension Neptunia fanfiction. His name is zezdy555, and he's a friend of mine IRL. I only started working with him recently, so expect to see his fanfiction slowly meld his writing style and mine. I'm more of an editor, though._

_I'm so thankful you've kept it up to this far, and I hope you continue to read. Give me reviews and feedback, tell me if you loved it or not, and tell me if I'm missing anything out or I've done something wrong._

_Now, without further ado-_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Initiation Complete**

I decided to keep a reminder engraved onto my soul based on this whole experience.

Guilds are not the best idea when their initiation program involves having a simulation of a titanic dragon attempt to smash your face in.

"_GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

The dragon's deafening roar sent out an incredibly forceful shockwave that sent me skidding backwards. I felt the white wall of polished steel smack against the back of my head mercilessly, and my mind throbbed in response to it. I took a step forward and stumbled, attempting to keep my body balanced. As I continued my attempts to recover my senses, I took note of a headache beginning to assault my brain.

I shook my head vigorously and stared at my enemy.

IF, nimble and agile as I expected her to be, was somersaulting multiple times and evading the attacks of the creature by hairsbreadths and wide margins. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I witnessed her slip her frame around a quake-inducing punch from the beast before delivering lightning-fast stabbing strikes to the monster's knees. It roared in response and attempted to grab her, but she leaped over its hand and slid away from it. She flipped back to create distance, and I could see her graceful form soar through the air like a ballet dancer.

I heard a feminine yell from another portion of the room, and I looked towards the direction from whence it came.

Nisa was using her incredible leg power to jump up and deliver powerful punches and kicks to the Ancient Dragon's upper body. As I looked on, she performed another incredible jump and pushed herself off the wall with a kick before she performed what looked to be a bone-shattering blow to the creature's left arm. The beast howled and took a few steps away from Nisa, hissing all the while as it clutched at its arm.

But if Ancient Dragons were so easy to kill, they wouldn't be listed as dangerous for nothing.

To my eye, the creature looked very resilient. It was still fighting us as a formidable enemy despite the horrendous injuries we had already inflicted on it. There were cut marks and bruises lining its body, and it would have also been bleeding out if it weren't for the fact that Gamindustri does pixels for blood instead.

Its tail, despite the fact that I had cut it off mere minutes ago, had already regenerated and was serving its purpose as yet another deadly asset to the monster's arsenal.

If this keeps up, we'll end up fighting a losing battle.

Just by looking at the other two girls on the team, I could see that they were beginning to tire out. IF's face was beginning to drip with sweat, and I could see Nisa's chest rise and fall quickly to catch her breath.

They weren't designed for long-term battles that use large amounts of energy.

If we didn't find a way out of here soon, the simulation could end up claiming our own lives.

I looked down at the _katana_ I held in my right hand. It had already begun to chip and blunt thanks to countless amounts of striking the hard scales of the dragon. The other one was in no better shape, and I felt my brain beginning to think hard and churn its gears faster and faster.

What is the way to beat an Ancient Dragon?

From my extremely meagre experience experience in fighting an Ancient Dragon, based on a video game, the method would be to defeat it using powerful SP Skills and EXE Drive attacks that I did not have in my possession. The other method, in-game, would be to level yourself up to a point where your physical strength alone could defeat the towering monstrosity.

Both methods were not only unreliable, but they seemed virtually impossible for me. After all, I had no idea how to use any SP Skills or EXE Drive Skills, and I don't think I even can.

Physical strength? Out of the question.

I felt my being vibrate as another roar shook the world around me and caused me to stumble backwards yet again. I hit the wall with my back, and I felt my body begin to lean on it for support. My strength was nowhere what I think I need to have to beat this thing. Even if it were just a simulation, it was far stronger than what reason would dictate.

I mean, surely the members of the Inner Guild don't intend for weak people to join, but there is a limit to your initiation difficulty. Hazing to join a fraternity in college is described as something far easier than this.

And people have died doing that.

_Well, regardless of all that..._

I felt my lips curl upwards into a faint smile as I gripped the handles of my blades harder. I pushed myself off the wall and began walking towards the titanic beast. I felt the cold shadow of the monster fall upon me as it sensed my presence and turned to face me. Another deafening roar sent powerful wind outwards that made my black hair flutter and dance in the violent gale.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

I heard only my own roar as I charged it for the umpteenth time, and its unintelligent eyes stared into mine once again.

* * *

I felt my hair fly upwards and my mouth cringe at the sight of the grisly battle below. It was a three-on-one brawl where the party of three was being horribly decimated and defeated, and the lone fighter was triumphing with overwhelming odds.

It was not a pretty sight to my eyes, but there was nothing I could do.

I turned back to the crowd of scientists in the room, which was scrambling and bustling with activity. Despite my somewhat frequent visits, never has the room ever been this lively. People in white lab coats ran and passed my field of vision while others' eyes were glued to their monitors as they typed away at dizzying speeds.

It was bizarre.

I floated over to a kind looking man and caught his attention by tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He looked away from the screen and focused on me. But his eyes seemed faraway instead, not focusing directly on me. More like...his eyes were staring into the space directly in front of him, and I happened to just be there.

"Excuse me," I politely began. "But would you mind telling me what's going on here? Never in my visits to the Inner Guild's labs have I seen such activity."

His eyes slowly focused on my small frame, but his expression remained unchanged. His mouth slowly began moving to form words to respond to my question, yet his eyes remained deadpan.

It was disturbing, in all fairness.

"...it's unbelievable...the injection was only calculated to perfectly synthesize with his body...the calculations stated that there was only a one in a trillion chance of it happening at all..."

"Listen to me!" I yelled, smacking his face lightly with the back of my hand. When I did, I felt his atmosphere change. The vibes he gave off now were ones of shock and surprise. He looked at me again and his eyes widened, and then he leapt to his feet and bowed.

"Pardon me for being so rude, Lady Histoire!" he apologized loudly, bowing so deeply that his body resembled an **L **shape.

"Never mind the apologies. Tell me what's going on." I brushed off the motion and urged him on. He immediately rose to a standing position and gestured to the monitor.

As he began explaining the situation, I felt my worries begin to intensify and my head begin to throb with a dull ache. Once the scientist finished his statements, I floated back to the window and looked back down.

Opening the book I floated on, I felt a wave of complete shock run through my system.

It showed mention of IF and Nisa fighting the Ancient Dragon.

But nothing about the boy.

_What could this mean?_

* * *

"Damn it!"

Again and again, my blade has been bouncing off of the creature's scaly hide when it had once managed to penetrate. I felt my arm being jarred by the recoil of the impact of my Qatar smashing into the creature's skin in my attempts to pierce its armour.

To no avail.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dragon's tail suddenly move disturbingly quickly and speed towards me from the left. Gathering strength into my legs and crouching down, I performed a backwards leap that placed myself far away enough from the dragon. The attack swept around the animal, and I felt a wave of relief pass through my head as I watched the attack harmlessly pass around it.

That feeling was blown away when I heard a scream stab the air like a knife.

That voice belonged to Nisa.

I felt a strange force compel me and push my body forward, and I sprinted past the dragon's legs in the direction of the scream. I felt my cold hands, the ones clenching my Qatar handles, begin to close onto themselves harder and harder.

I spotted a form in a black jumpsuit and a red scarf lying in a heap on the ground, and I doubled my pace. I quickly slid over to the spot right next to her and crouched down to check on her. Nisa groaned in unconscious pain and arched her back as I touched her spine, and I knew that she couldn't risk staying here.

"IF!" I heard Akai's voice, and I turned to witness an amazing scene.

Akai was constantly somersaulting through the air now in his valiant efforts to dodge the claws of the crazed monstrosity with incredible success. The dragon let out a frustrated roar and breathed out a sea of flame that struck the far wall, which Akai dodged by running on the wall towards me. At the same time, a large bow appeared out of the air next to me. He quickly vaulted over me, grabbing the bow as he did, and nocked his two _katanas_ into the bowstring.

While he was still upside down and somersaulting over my head, close enough for our hair to touch.

It was an incredible sight.

Within the next instant, I heard a whoosh go through the air as the blades flew out of the bow. They whistled through the air at unparalleled speed and impaled themselves into the dragon's eyes. It roared in pain and stumbled back, crashing heavily into the porcelain white wall and making the whole building shudder and shake.

As if he hadn't just done that, Akai turned to me and looked at me with an extremely worried expression.

"How is she?"

I looked back to Nisa and shook my head. He narrowed his eyebrows and looked into at the wall for a bit. I heard him take a really deep breath and then sigh, and then he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Take her out of here. She needs help more than we do, and she doesn't know me at all. You have more connections than I do, and you even live with Compa."

I felt my entire being flip upside down as I heard him say this, as if a massive hand had grabbed my soul and flipped it like a coin toss.

_Leave Akai here?_

The idea felt absolutely preposterous. Stupid, even. But the look in his eyes told me that he wasn't going to let Nisa die here, and neither would I.

But I don't want to...

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an infuriated dragon howling at us. As I turned to face it, I saw that its eyes could see again. And if anything, it was clearly aimed for Akai.

"Just one question before I start buying time." I heard Akai suddenly ask me this question, and I looked back to him. He had on his face an anxious yet fearless smile as he cracked his knuckles and began to walk forward.

"You know those skills that you do? The ones that really drain your energy, but are strong enough to decimate monsters really quickly?"

"Um...yeah?" I responded, unsure of his request.

He looked at me with his iridescent eyes and smiled a worried smile.

"Would you mind telling me how to use them?"

_So...my hunch was correct after all._

This thought came to my mind once IF's meagre explanation had been finished. I smiled to myself and focused on the mental image of a single _katana _and drawing it out of the air. I unsheathed it and held the sheath with my other hand as I faced the dragon again.

This was going to be far easier than I had initially thought it would be.

IF's explanation of her skills said that all she had to do was think of the name of the combination of attacks that made up her skills, as well as visualize what they do, and then the attack would commence. Of course, I still had to follow through on the motions. But in order for the maximum amount of power to be achieved, I would have to throw my heart, mind and soul into the attack.

I sighed deeply and began sprinting at the dragon, which roared to greet me as it reached for me with its razor-sharp talons. I leapt up and wedged the _katana _sheath in between its claws before vaulting onto it and jumping off, propelling myself even higher. Before long, its face was right in front of mine. As I tightened my grip on the _katana, _I felt the air around me suddenly begin to disappear into the maw of the creature.

_Not good._

I closed my eyes.

In my mind, a recollection came up. It was a completely detailed visual playback of the skill known as _Critical Edge_, which was the perfect example of _iaido_. I felt the memory soak up into my hand and my arm, and I felt the limb suddenly find its way into the position before I had wanted it to even move.

I felt ready, even if I face death in the form of a dragon.

I opened my eyes and let out a scream as I felt the oxygen around me ignite in a flurry of heat and sparks.

"CRITICAL EDGE!"

* * *

"Whoa!"

"Is something wrong, big sister?"

"For a single moment...I felt a disturbance."

"...what are you talking about?"

"Dunno, actually! Hahaha!"

"Wait, why are you standing up?"

"I just got this weird feeling. Ever got something like that, Nep Jr?"

"I'm not even sure of what you're talking about..."

"You know, like those times when you feel like you left the game on even though you swear your turned it off before you left the room?"

"Why are you using such a specific example? And no, I don't think I've had that kind of feeling."

"What?! I had no idea my little sister led such a boring life underneath my nose! Don't worry, Nep Jr! We're going to make you so interesting, cameras will break when they turn to you!"

"I don't want to have that kind of ability!"

_**Nepgear has acquired the passive ability: **_**Uninteresting Life**

"Why am I getting another passive ability that I don't want?!"

"See, Nep Jr? Even the game agrees with me! Now, for starters, try catching your big sister as she flies around the Basilicom far faster than you can ever hope to be!"

"Wait! Come back here, Neptune!"

* * *

I couldn't believe my eyes.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The dragon's roar, once the mighty and prideful roar of a powerful predator who was on the verge of killing his prey, was now filled with the howling of a pained animal. Its large and sharp claws were now covering its snout as if there were a wound to conceal as it stumbled away from Akai.

Akai himself was now on the other side of the dragon, his blade shining with iridescent light. He stood up from his kneeling position and turned, flashing me a thumbs up before he summoned another _katana _and dashed towards the dragon.

_How?!_

I had seen that very attack used countless times before by one my my dearest friends, and no one else was capable of matching what she had done on pure instinct.

And he had replicated the attack perfectly.

But that wasn't even the beginning of the amazing battle.

I watched him running at the monster with two blades stretched to either side, pointing away from his body. As the dragon attempted to bat him away with its tail, he somersaulted over it and slashed the tip of the tail in half and severing it. As the dragon reacted violently to the act, he made his way over to the dragon's legs.

Leaping with an incredibly powerful upward strike, he struck the back of the monster's knee. The beast cried out a roar of pain and knelt down in pain, its leg now disabled.

Suddenly, he tossed the blades away and drew something out of the air. It looked like a single-handed sickle, but it had a chain at the bottom. It looped several times around his other hand, ending in a spiked iron weight. Faster than the eye could follow, he spun the sickle around like a lasso and hurled it towards the dragon's shoulder. The curved blade of the weapon sank into the monster's brown scaly flesh, and he quickly used it as leverage to pull himself upwards as if it were a grappling hook. As he climbed atop the shoulder spikes of the beast, he pulled out his weapon and looked back towards the winds of the dragon.

What he did next caused me to rethink my entire strategy about fighting Ancient Dragons.

He leapt off of the dragon's shoulder, tossing the sickle at the dragon's left wing as he did. It looped around once and stabbed into the cartilage of the dragon's wing, making it growl in anger. Using it, he swung below and around before swinging himself directly into the dragon's face.

"Akai!" I heard my own voice shout his name as he landed feet-first against the dragon's scaly snout. Suddenly, he pulled some weird square out of the air and punched the dragon's face with it. He quickly began summoning more of those strange objects and sticking them everywhere he could. As the dragon attempted to grab him with its claws, he let gravity take over and began felling backwards. As he did, he began spinning around and tossing more of those cubical objects onto the creature. He hit the ground rolling before he sprinted towards me, a big smile on his face as he skidded to a stop.

In his hand, he held a large black button.

"What is that?" I asked him, and he just winked at me and pressed it.

And the world suddenly exploded.

* * *

I felt my hair tossed back by violent wind as the whole room below us was filled with red, yellow, and orange light. The building shook viciously, and my vision flashed as the lights flickered dangerously.

The multitude of scientists around me, having fell down and staggered about from the magnitude of the explosion, were now in an even crazier frenzy than earlier. Commands, facts, statistics and percentages were being spewed into the air at a crazy rate that made even my brain grow a throbbing ache in its depths. I massaged my temples and floated out of the room, finding my wall into the hall. I made for the elevator and I pushed the button that was almost larger than my hand. The metal doors moved aside, and even more scientists rushed noisily out of the elevator and made their way to the room I had just left, leaving it completely vacant. I sighed and went inside, touching the button that would take me to the ground floor.

At the same time, I extended my telepathic communication and reached for the one person I wished to speak with right now.

…

…

_Miss IF?_

_Lady Histoire? Is that you? _The voice of the teenage brunette resounded within my mind, and it sounded confused and worried.

_What seems to be the problem, Miss IF? Apart from what just happened, which I would like for you to tell me about. I do not understand the events that had played out right under me, and I certainly believe that you understand them better than I do. After all, you were down there. _I asked her, my voice resonating off of the walls of the confines of the elevator.

_I'll tell you all about it later, but I'm afraid I don't understand much of it either. Right now, though, we're bringing Nisa over to Compa to have her treated._

I sighed as I heard this. It was then followed by the sound of the door opening and the **ding** of the elevator as I reached the ground floor. As I hovered out, a large amount of scientists suddenly smashed themselves into the elevator before the doors shut. I sighed and shook my head, and I began floating to the door.

* * *

"How is she?"

I asked Compa this question as she looked over her unconscious body. Her eyes scanned her legs, arms and torso with a professional eye. I could feel the expertise in her gaze.

We had already managed to escape back to our home, which had become the refuge from that experience. I had carried Nisa and sprinted ahead of IF, who had been almost completely silent since our departure from the Guild building.

_Perhaps she's lost in thought? Maybe she's trying to figure out why the Guild would do something so reckless that could possibly in end in pointless destruction and needless death._

My drifting trains of thought were derailed by the sound of Compa's declaration.

"She'll be fine, but you'll have to give me a moment alone with her. It's what happens if we leave her like this that worries me." Compa said as she walked away from Nisa's bedside and opened a nearby cupboard.

I felt the entire house shake when Compa dragged out a massive red bag with a white cross on it and let it hit the floor. The bag was made of rough-looking red fabric, and it was wider than both of my legs stuck together. There was a strap on it, but I felt like questioning the point of its existence.

It didn't look like a normal human being could even begin to consider trying to heft that thing 5 centimetres off the ground.

"Um, Compa?" I began to ask, but she quickly grabbed the strap of the bag and lifted it with a single arm as if it weren't a bother at all. With a single smooth motion, she placed the strap onto her shoulder.

"Is something the matter?" She responded while placing both hands on Nisa's frame and lifting her as well, and then carrying her in a position where Nisa's stomach was against Compa's shoulder and her upper body dangled over Compa's back.

I felt no need to say anything anymore, so I waved my hand in a dismissive manner, told her to proceed, and then I just headed to the kitchen. She just replied in her normal, courteous and boisterous manner before walking in the completely opposite direction towards her room. I heard the door slam as I sat down, and I felt my image of Compa beginning to warp into something scary.

I felt the urge to never make her angry, even more than the idea of fighting an Ancient Dragon barehanded.

As I closed my eyes and let the world begin to drift away from me, I heard the sound of glass strike the wooden table in front me. I opened my eyelids to see a glass of iced tea present itself to me, and the unexpected sight of IF being the one to place it there. She refused to look at me as I did her, instead choosing to ignore me as she poured her own glass and sat down at the seat to my right.

As she did, I noticed that the seat in front of me was vacant, yet there was a glass of iced tea there positioned there as well.

"Umm..." I began, but IF held up her hand and sipped from her glass. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, drinking from my own glass. It felt cool and refreshing, washing away a moderate amount of my fatigue and replacing it with energy.

"I need to talk with you." She said, and she placed the glass down onto the table. Her face was straight, her eyes were serious and her tone was one that spoke business and 'no jokes' to me.

"Uh, sure. Although if this is about love or anything of the sort, I'm not sure I can help with you. I lack that kind of experience."

She instantly stiffened the instant I had said the word 'love', and then she clenched her fist and lightly struck the table. I could tell she was trying to make sure that her fist wasn't going to fly into me instead.

"I have no matters to discuss with you regarding that kind of topic, nor do I doubt I will ever do so. It's something a bit more serious." She responded, her voice tense and strained. I could tell she was keeping it formal.

But for what reason, I couldn't tell.

She cleared her throat and began.

"This is what I know about you so far. You came here from another dimension with no idea of just how you got here, in the middle of the forest late at night, and you decided to just befriend a Dogoo you met there."

"Correct."

"Later, as you were attempting to navigate through a forest you had no idea how to get through, you came across Compa and I. I attacked the Dogoo you befriended, but you stopped me. We then decided to help you out of goodwill and concern, especially after you told us your story."

"Right."

"From what I gather, you're not just an ordinary person. Surely, you have some sort of background that doesn't involve anything normal people do." She pressed with a more intense voice, leaning back in her chair, crossing a single one of her legs, folding her arms slightly below her chest area and staring at me with a doubtful eye.

Well, I couldn't blame her.

I felt _**those **_memories beginning to well up within me again. Those memories that I wanted to bury forever because of their horrendous impact on my life. The memories of my social life crashing and burning surfaced immediately, but I could feel the darker recollections bubbling underneath the surface. The ones I swore I'd either forget or forever remember in the depths of my soul in a place I'd rather leave untouched.

"...I'm just a student with exceptional athleticism." I muttered, sipping another taste of the iced tea. I could feel her gaze attempting to pierce me, and it crawled all over my skin as I looked away from her.

"...well, if it's something unrelated to this world, then I won't pry. It'd be rude. The reason I wanted to sit you down and talk was because I need you to explain to me anything that happened in that initiation test that you felt might have been amiss." She said, her emerald green eyes now looking at me with neutrality.

"Amiss, you say? You were in the observation area, weren't you? Wouldn't you see anything that I didn't?" I responded with a seemingly valid question, but she just shook her head in reply.

"Normally, that'd be the case. But after you injected that serum into your bloodstream, percentages and charts were moving on their screens at a speed my eyes couldn't follow. From what I could understand, they were studying how well the weapon was merging with your body."

I felt my body hum in resentment at the idea of my insides being monitored and scanned, but I pushed the wave of emotion aside.

"Well, I don't quite remember anything out of the ordinary. When I injected the serum, I felt the room being a bit hotter than usual for a split second before it reverted to the original temperature." I said in complete honesty, holding my hands up in total resignation.

"That was probably the mixture just settling into your system. But from what it seems like, no one has ever managed to meld with the weapon the same way you have." IF added, placing her thumb and her forefinger on her thumb.

"Is that so? So, I'm a special case?" I asked, drinking a good portion of the contents of my cup as I did.

"Most likely, they're going to come after you and take a good look at you. Scientifically speaking, you're a valuable sample and experiment."

I let that fact sink in as I sat back in my chair, emptying the drink into my mouth and gulping it down thirstily. I placed it back onto the table and pushed it towards IF, who rolled her eyes and refilled it, and then she pushed it back towards me.

"So...is there something else?" I asked, taking the cup and taking another light sip from it before placing it back onto the table.

"Yes, there is."

Suddenly, another voice rang through the air and joined the conversation. It was another feminine voice, and one that sounded very knowledgeable and reasonable. It was also a small voice compared to IF's and mine, yet I knew just from the sound that it held more dignity and commanded more respect.

I looked to the door, and I saw her hovering in the entranceway.

She was a woman clothed in purple and white attire, a white hat on the top of her head and a pair of tiny white shoes to fit the look. Two small wings sprouted from her minuscule frame, and her face was solemn and relaxed.

The Oracle of Planeptune, Histoire.

"Good day...Akai Gurren, was it? I wish to personally speak with you, if it is all right with you. If you wish to move to another venue, I have no issues with it. Would you mind terribly if I ask you for a bit of your time?"

I never had the option to refuse.

And before I knew it, I was sitting at a table on the porch in the Planeptune Tower.

The scenery was incredible, as the one who was looking had a bird's eye view of the whole nation. The rising buildings and the green pastures, the mountains in the distance, and the various homes scattered and littered everywhere.

I felt omniscient, even if I were unimportant to this nation.

Across from me, Histoire was sipping an even smaller teacup than mine, and I began to ponder just how one might pour tea into the cup. But my questions were dispelled from my mind as she placed the cup onto the tray she held in her other hand and looked at me with a face I couldn't describe.

Was it a scrutinizing face? Analytical? Doubtful? Wary, even?

"Akai Gurren, I must tell you something that may hold meaning for the whole of Gamindustri, and it is something I must swear you to secrecy until I otherwise say so" She said, her tone completely serious and straight.

I nodded stiffly, and she just smiled nervously at me.

"Do not be so tense. Even if I am the Oracle and you are a being from another dimension, we are still two people sharing a teapot. You may speak casually. May I call you Akai?"

"Um...sure thing, Histoire." I said, breathing out and attempting to loosen up a bit more. "So...what is it?"

Her face became a bit perplexed as she spoke.

"The book I stand upon and bring around is essentially a record of Gamindustri's history. Within it, I could just look up whatever has happened already or is happening. I suspect that you already know this, though how you do remains a mystery to me."

I nodded in reply.

"However...you are not appearing in the book. What you have done in this world does not appear within the book, and all events related to you are altered in some fashion with a magic or other force I cannot explain as of yet." She said, her tone confused.

I felt confused as well.

"This book may be the very key to Gamindustri's prosperity, but if there is something about it we don't know, it may become the key to our downfall. If I do not find the source of the issue and understand it, and resolve it if need be, then it may spell dire consequences for everyone in this world."

I nodded and began to empty the contents of the tea into my mouth once again.

"That is why I must make a request of you: please live within the Basilicom for the time being so I can monitor you and research without worry."

That was the very first time in my life that I could honestly say: I had no choice but to spit out my drink.


	6. Chapter 5: Purple Haired Mischief

**Chapter 5: Purple Haired Mischief**

"..."

I was now sitting in a recliner with purple cushions and a footrest, but I wasn't using it. The room I was in was pink all around, and had a _kotatsu _somewhere in the middle area of the whole room. The shelves were messy and scattered with empty junk food cases, video game cases, controllers, papers and crumbs of eaten food. The rest of the whole room, even bigger than a whole three-room apartment, was like that as well. I could detect a faint feminine scent blended in with the obvious aroma of flavored potato chips and freshly brewed tea.

And now I've landed myself in one of the most unexpected situations I'd ever think I might get involved in.

I was just some ordinary high-school student. I have no job, no friends, and I don't even belong in Gamindustri. I'm just some ordinary person who has no right to reside within the halls of the Basilicom.

Yet here I was in the room of one of the most important people in this whole world.

"Hey, Akai! Wanna play a co-op game with little ol' me? The controller's as free as a Horsebird, so all you gotta do is grab it and ride!"

The one who had said that, laughing and rolling all over the floor that was covered in cushions and empty bags of potato chips, was the most important person in all of Planeptune, whose influence and authority exceeded that of even the Oracle, Histoire.

The Console Patron Unit of Planeptune, Lady Purple Heart. Otherwise known as Neptune.

I continued to observe the girl in front of me, engrossed in seeing her in the flesh as she urged me to play the game in front of us.

She looked just like how the game made her look. Her hair was an astonishingly bright lilac colour that stood out very impressively, able to catch most people's attention from meters away. Her eyes shared the same colour of purple, just darker than her hair. She wore her Jersey Dress, as I recall it was named, along with her wrist bands and trademark shoes. Everything, from the colour of her skin to the socks she wore, matched my mental recollection of her.

No doubt about it. This was the real deal.

And I was going to live in the same room as her.

As this completely unbelievable fact resounded in the depths of my mind, my eyes flashed back to the events that had occurred several hours ago...

* * *

"Err...pardon?" Was the only thing I could say in response to the sudden request.

"Akai, I did not plan on asking this kind of question without having a reasonable motive behind it. I have already explained myself." Histoire added, her expression inquisitive. Her eyes twinkled with intellectual light as she peered at me.

"No, I understand that much, of course. I-it just came at me a l-little unexpectedly, so-that, er-" I felt my brain begin to melt at the prospect of living in the Basilicom.

Firstly, the idea filled me with an indescribable amount of joy, and an indescribable kind of joy at that. I have experienced, or watched, the many shenanigans that the CPUs were often a part of thanks to my experience in playing their games and watching their _anime_. And to actually get a front row seat top the whole experience seemed too good to be true. The very idea was very energizing, as the fun-filled days would never end if that were the case.

However, it also creates a problem within my own self.

After all, I was going to be living with beautiful girls under the same roof. No matter how you tried to twist the facts, that single fact was still clear to me.

I was unlike other boys I'd seen my age, who were often described as unable to control their libido. I believe I have a good degree of self-control over myself and my...urges.

However, the situation itself was still dangerous.

"Umm, Lady Histoire...? Isn't it all right for me to just be within the vicinity of the city? I don't think that I actually have to live **in **the Basilicom, now do I?" I began, hoping that my thoughts would get through to her by emphasizing the word 'in'.

"Is there a problem? We have plenty of space, and I'm quite sure Neptune and Nepgear would be more than welcome to accommodate you and help you with whatever you need. And if not, I am also here." Histoire reasoned in a perfectly calm and collected tone, practically ignorant of what I really meant.

_Histoire! You're one of the smartest and most mature people in all of Gamindustri, but for once, you don't get it at all! _I felt my disappointed thoughts shout this to the world, and I was glad that thoughts couldn't be heard.

"No, Histoire, I mean...won't it be a problem for the CPU if the public hears about how someone just got admitted into the Basilicom to live there just like that? And a male, no less?" I pointed out, leaning back into my chair and closing a single eye to Histoire.

She just looked at me with this oblivious look like she had absolutely no idea what I was referring to, her eyes just blinking once and her head tilting like a chicken's.

"We can just keep the information confidential. Is there a problem you're not telling me about, Akai?" Histoire asked, completely clueless to my inner turmoil.

I felt myself sigh, and deeper than ever before now that I know a particular flaw to Histoire I'd never have expected.

_Lady Histoire, you're the most intelligent and sensible person I've ever seen in Gamindustri...but sometimes, you lack some common sense, huh?_

* * *

And so, I was then shepherded into the Basilicom.

I watched helplessly as the staff of the building eyed me with varying expressions and glints in their eyes as Histoire relyaed the message to them. They all bowed respectfully to Histoire when they were dismissed, but some of them shot me suspicious looks on their way out.

I couldn't help but sigh tiredly. I was used to the contemptuous looks and the negative vibes in my old world, but I didn't like the idea of carrying it over to this one. Some of those looks burned with jealousy, and others screamed of suspicion.

I couldn't blame them. I had no idea how this situation and conclusion had been reached.

As I dragged myself through the meeting room and out into the hall, I felt a tiny hand pat my back comfortingly.

"Please do not mind the staff. They just seem to be wary of a newcomer in this building for security reasons. They will grow accustomed to your presence soon enough, do not worry." She said in a soothing tone and a motherly smile, even if she had no idea why I was mentally drained in the first place.

Part of the reason was because of Histoire's surprising lack of common sense in certain areas.

_Now that I think about it...Histoire doesn't seem to have a lot of experience in dealing with the opposite sex, right? I didn't see a single male protagonist in the game that she had to converse with often, and the closest amount of male contact she's probably had were the curt and short conversations that she's done with the staff around here._

"Hey, Histoire? Have you ever fallen in love with someone?" Suddenly, I heard my voice speak my mind as if it were on autopilot, and I immediately clamped my lips with my hand right after.

_Shit._

Not a topic to ask out of the blue.

I immediately recoiled by reflex in the event of Histoire smacking me hard with a paper fan, closing my eyes and bracing myself. I even kept my arms directly over my head, as if I were shielding it from something. Well, if Histoire were to hit me, that would hurt quite a lot.

"Sor-" I began.

"No, I haven't, nor do I intend to." Histoire cut me off clearly with a very loud voice as she turned to face me, and her eyes looked serious. I quickly exited my tense defensive stance and looked back at Histoire.

"Is that true? Don't you think it's a bit lonely?" I asked her, but she just smiled and closed her eyes. She shook her head once, very slowly.

"I was born since the creation of this world, and I'm as old as the very ground we stand on now. Thinking of romance is a bad idea, especially considering I'm an Oracle as well. I wouldn't be able to focus on my work, would I?" Histoire reasoned out, her voice far calmer than I had expected it to be. I felt a wave of suppressed guilt travel down my back, and I realized that my hand was already scratching the back of my head.

"Er...how to put this...sorry for bringing up this kind of topic all of a sudden..." I apologized, trying to look Histoire in the eye without breaking my expression. She just smiled kindly in response.

"No need to apologize. The thought has never really crossed my mind, so it does not really make me uncomfortable." She said, floating past me and making her way down the hallway while hovering using her book as always. Feeling the lack of tension, I quickly joined her and walked at her side. Keeping pace with her, I took some time to calm my thoughts.

But when I took a sidelong glance at Histoire, I felt surprise run through my veins. And yet...I expected it as well.

Her face was red, and her eyes screamed of loneliness as she gazed into empty air. Her hands were clenched ever so slightly, and I saw her irises quiver unsteadily in her eyes. I sidled slightly closer to her as we proceeded down the hall, and she didn't notice at all.

And when I did just that, I could sense the vibes.

She had realized it for the first time since I mentioned it. What I had meant.

_Does she feel lonely? Does she resent me for what I said?_

We rounded a corner as if there were no inner emotional turmoil in one of us at all. I could sense the epiphanies going off in Histoire's brain, even if I couldn't tell what they were exactly, and I began to feel increasingly bad. By the time we had stopped in front of a door, I could already sense a sense of depression and gloom radiating form the tiny fairy-like person flying next to me.

"Well, we're here. If you need anything from me, I'll be in my office. Locate it by asking the Basilicom staff around here. No need to worry about them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work." She said with a low tone and voice, and I couldn't help but notice the depressive state her tone reflected.

She apparently does a horrible job of hiding things she's not used to.

But then again, a lot of people tend to be the same.

_You messed up, Akai! Take responsibility and say something to make her feel better!_

Instantly, I reached for Histoire as she was leaving and placed my hand on the top of her small head. As she turned around to say something else, I spoke first.

"Don't worry about a thing, Histoire. You're fine just the way you are. You've always been that way, and I figure that you'll find your own way to deal with your affairs. So don't let it get you down so much. I'm sorry I brought it up." I said in an apologetic tone before I removed my hand and headed for the door.

That kind of thing is SO embarrassing to say, so I couldn't stand it if she laughed at me for pretending to be a main protagonist or something.

Just as I placed my hand on the knob, I heard her say something.

"You're really kind, Akai." When I turned around to respond, I saw nothing but an empty hallway. I scratched my head in confusion and turned around, closing my fingers around the doorknob and opening it slowly.

_Wait...what is this room? _I recall Histoire saying "we're here", but...

The royal purple wooden door swung open easily as if its hinges were newly oiled, and it made no noise whatsoever as it moved. It displayed the inside of the room from my point of view, and I felt my eyes fall out of their sockets when they saw the room.

The inside was lush, lovely, rich and extravagant with furniture and decorations that looked extremely overpriced and unnecessary. Soft and plush carpets of purple and blue lined the floors, and there was a single long wooden table that was intricately carved to look even more elegant, with the legs curving inwards and the width of the tables being filled with a long line of inscriptions. The walls were a pure white with purple accents that swirled and raced around the room in a very energetic yet compellingly calm with a feeling of direction. The ceiling was the same, except a massive chandelier hung in the room. It was made of gold, clearly, since the immense circle that shone with reflective light was sparkling in shades of beautiful yellow. It was also adorned and encrusted with amethysts, giving it a beautiful look despite the choice of contrasting color schemes.

_I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS ROOM BEFORE IN ANY GAME!_

I felt my feet walk on their own as I marveled at the splendor of the extravagant room, feeling over-conscious of how I stood out like a sore thumb in my plain garb. After all, I was wearing nothing but a sweat-soaked black shirt with a brown overcoat that had been burned and scratched to the point of no return. It reminded me vaguely of what happens when a person in a particular anime I had watched had been given a brown coat of cashmere. Afterwards, it had seemed like the world had done the best of its worst to ruin the coat with stunning success. The main character had been forced to allow it to be stained and ripped for the sake of saving a supporting character who always had this amazing tendency of getting lost anywhere and anytime.

_Wait, why is this going through my mind?! It's the last thing I have to worry about!_

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I removed the offending material and tucked it under my arm to keep it out of sight from any onlookers. I looked down, and I realized that my pants were torn as well and my shoes were half destroyed.

This is probably why the staff of the Basilicom were staring at me. I looked homeless.

I felt a deep sigh escape my lips, and I closed my eyes for a precious instant as the tiredness began to creep into my consciousness. I walked forward and felt my legs willingly give way to let my body fall onto the nearby couch. As my torso made contact with the cushions, I felt my fatigue increase by a thousandfold. Instantly, my eyes became as heavy as steel weights as they tried to crash shut. With my feeble remaining strength that was being drained by the luscious sofa, I let my thoughts sleepily drift to something that happened before I had gone into the training room.

It had happened when I was in Gust's room.

The entire world shook with force that threatened to push me off of my feet, and IF had lost her balance as well. My instincts had kicked in at that moment, and I had caught her in what seemed to be a very embarrassing position. I had been on the receiving end of a very powerful slap that could probably fell an elephant in a single strike, and the mere memory made me recall that sharp sting that made my skin shiver at the thought.

But if I tried to think about it, there was no reason for the building to shake like it did.

Certainly, Gamindustri was at peace now. No wars or enemies were going to be attacking the goddesses right now, and so there was no reason for the building to have been bombed or anything. From what I could remember, the building was secure and large anyway. It would take something tremendously powerful to make the rooms inside move around with that kind of force.

But I couldn't exactly think of a reason for such a thing to exist and make happen in that building.

_Perhaps...I'm mistaken?_

_Crap...I'm falling asleep._

It was probably a very bad idea to fall asleep in this room, since I got the overwhelming feeling that it was bad to do so. But I felt no control over my eyelids that were growing weightier with each passing microsecond of time.

_Dammit, stay awa-_

* * *

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

A loud cry of glee and childish enjoyment rang through the hallways, echoing back and forth with a vibe of pure energy. Ordinarily, anyone in the same _building_ would turn and look in the direction of the noise, but everyone else inside had just sighed and resumed their work.

After all, the staff here were not strangers to the sight of their goddess riding down the hall in a massive waste basket with wheels and a massive jet engine.

Scratch that. If there were any questions that the assorted men and women had in their minds, it was only one. And that would be: why hadn't she already done this?

"Bis Sister! Wait for me!" Another, slightly softer, cry followed the first one before another massive sound rumbled through the structure. The ceiling lights flickered and the tables and chairs rocked in place as Nepgear sped past the doors and halls in a pair of roller skates that spewed dangerously forceful flames from behind.

They propelled the CPU Candidate forward at a dangerous speed that could possibly kill any human wearing the skates themselves, but the lilac-long-haired girl was holding her own with ease. The two sisters, laughing and cheering, rounded corners at blinding speeds and took advantage of their rides to skid on the walls and ride on the ceiling. Staff members, unsurprised, made way for the two siblings as they dashed from hallway to hallway and leaving everyone unscathed.

Rather, one might ask why there were no scorch marks on the rugs and the walls.

But that wasn't the kind of question to ask these two ridiculous girls.

A better question would be to ask: What on earth were they doing?

"Nep. Jr! I'mma race you to the observatory, got it?! I ain't goin' easy on you, even if you are my little sis!" Neptune hollered behind herself as she stood up on the edges of the wastebasket and pointed a single challenging finger at her little sister.

"All right, then! Even if it's you, I won't show mercy!" Nepgear accepted the challenge in her usual way, setting her mouth in a determined smile as she braced her frame against her own vehicle.

"That's what I want to see! Now, come at me, bro!" Neptune responded comically, suddenly donning a pair of black sunglasses when she said the last line, as she jumped back into the wastebasket and rounded the next corner with Nepgear closing in slowly behind her.

The two female racers, now in a dead competitive heat, were streaking down the hallways with blazing trails of fire and sparks of static electricity rising in their wake. The staff, still unfazed by this turn of events, went on about their business as if nothing were out of the ordinary. The very happy-go-lucky sisters drifted and skidded through yet another corner, only to find themselves barreling down a hallway and unable to stop their approach towards a door.

"Nepgear! I changed my mind! Home stretch is that room! Ready? 3, 2, 1 GO!" With no leeway time whatsoever, Neptune quickly summoned a pistol from her inventory and began firing it backwards. The force of the shots sent her ride zooming forward at an even greater speed, and Nepgear ducked as a single bullet whooshed above her head.

"Big Sister! Watch out!"

Nepgear's cry went unheeded as Neptune recklessly rumbled forward in her makeshift vehicle and slammed straight into the door, throwing it violently off its hinges and tossing it against the far wall. It crashed against the wall with forceful boom that made the whole Basilicom shudder with its power.

"WHOOOOOHOOAAAAAWHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Well, halfway through the injury-risking collision, Neptune had flown out of the wastebasket and sent somersaulting through the air like an expert acrobat. She flipped and spun several times before perfectly landing on both feet soundly, her arms pointed upwards like an acrobat.

"And that's the game, folks! I'm winning the Olympics today, that's for sure! Gold medals for EVERYBODY~" Neptune cheered as she began performing a cheerleader routine in the midst of the room.

And completely unlike her big sister, Nepgear slowed to a safe stop as she entered the room quietly. She drifted to the center of the room near her sister, her light purple hair floating in the air for a brief moment before falling back downwards.

"Whoowee, Nep. Jr! You've gotta teach me how to drive one of these bad boys! It's not like the games, since you don't have to be smart to play. I wanna know how to drive so I drive to Lastation in a tricked-out ride, go to Noire and brag to her about it! Yeah, now THAT I wanna do! Come on, little sis of mine!" From a triumphant position, Neptune instantly struck a begging position like a dog's as she pestered her younger sister. In this situation, it was highly questionable as to who was younger and who was older.

"Wait, before that..." Nepgear, about to humor her older sister, suddenly switched her attention to the room they were in. "Where are we? I don't ever remember seeing a room like this in our house."

"Ah, this one? Histy said that there had to be at least one room that looked like a real queen's throne room or something like that. I don't really remember much since she mixed it up with another one of her boring lectures." Neptune sheepishly rubbed her nape as she said this, standing up and looking around.

"But even so, isn't this a little too much? I think its a waste to have so much nice looking furniture and leave it to dust and rust, Big Sister." Nepgear commented, her hand running itself over the carvings of wood. She held a slightly despondent and pitying expression in her eyes, and Neptune suddenly tacked her to the floor when she spotted it.

"LITTLE SIS! IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT ADORABLY SAD FACE OF YOURS, I'LL HAVE TO TICKLE YOU TO DEATH AND BUY THAT MERCHANDISE I SAW OF YOU IN TOWN THE OTHER DAY!" With that, Neptune immediately cracked the bones in her fingers and assaulted Nepgear's sides with pokes and ticklish massages that completely eradicated the CPU Candidate's will and feeble ability to resist.

"Wait-HAHA-Big Si-HEEHEEHEE-Please stop-HEHEHEHE-Wait, what merchandi-HAHAHAHAHA-WAIT-HEEHEEHEE-I'M GONNA PEE IF YOU-HAHAHAHAHA" Nepgear's tongue was robbed of the ability to form complete sentences, and her eyes were already watering from the laughter. Nepgear, unable to do anything in return, simply curled up into a fetal position and held up her hands in order to ward off her big sister's successful attempts to tickle her into submission.

"That's right, Nep. Jr! You cannot escape the destiny that you were born with once you came into existence...THE FATE TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF YOUR SISTER'S EXQUISITE FINGERS!" Neptune had now entered _Full Burst Mode_ and was now attacking every single vulnerable spot on Nepgear's body with accuracy and force pinpointing her ticklish nerves perfectly.

One might find it a very interesting skill. One might also say that she could be putting it to better use instead of using it to tickle her sister.

After minutes on end, Nepgear finally managed to squirm away from her sister's malicious fingers and catch her breath. Neptune, too, was very tired from what she saw. The two, breathing in and out and facing the floor, turned to look at each other. They then began giggling lightly as Neptune pulled Nepgear to her feet with a helping hand.

"By the way, Bis Sis?" Nepgear asked, her voice entering its curious tone.

"What might you need, O Glorious Nep. Jr of the Planeptunian Race?" The CPU of Planeptune responded comically as she knelt on one knee and began singing a diving-sounding chorus to "honor" her sister.

"Who's that?" Nepgear pointed to the nearby couch, an inquisitive look on her face. Neptune, still kneeling on the floor like a knight to her queen, craned her neck around to see what, or who, her little sister happened to be pointing at.

On the couch, there was a teenage boy slumbering as if the two hadn't just crashed inside violently and making a horrid and messy wreck of the regal room. He was snoring very quietly, heard only when the two had gone silent, and was resting with a ragged and torn piece of brown cloth over him like a half-worn blanket. The two girls, now curious and interested in the sudden realization of a third party being present in the room, moved closer to examine him.

"Hmm...he's got nice muscles." Neptune pointed out, directing her gaze and pointer finger to the sleeping young man's displayed arms. And when Nepgear looked closer, she acknowledged it with a hum as well. He did have strong looking arms, as befitting of a male his age. He looked physically fit and strong, although his outfit spoke of the opposite since it was adorned with tears and burns.

"That doesn't answer the question, Big Sister. Who is he?" Nepgear asked the question again, a bit more determined to get the answer out of her sister. After all, she was the Planeptune CPU and the technical owner of the Basilicom, so surely she'd have at least some-

"I have absolutely no idea who this guy is. But he's got surprisingly smooth skin, see? Hey, this is freaky smooth! Nep. Jr, check it out! He's like those models we see on the TV, except...well, you know, a guy!" Neptune marveled in a strangely amazed voice as she began feeling the young man's arms, seemingly enjoying the sensation she was getting.

"Really?" Nepgear, now interested and curious in what her big sister was claiming, knelt down and began touching the boy's skin as well. As she gently ran her delicate fingers over his arm, she began to feel strangely tense. As she slowly expanded her region of contact and began running her palm over his forearm and his biceps, she felt the sturdy and powerful muscle bulging healthily under his skin. The sensation, one of masculinity, was one she was not accustomed to. And it made her feel restless in some way she couldn't understand.

"...Nepgear, I don't think the term 'love at first sight' involves feeling up someone before the talking. Do you want me to get those magazines from Vert's place for some advice?"

"Hya!" Nepgear, instantly realizing what she was doing in entirety once her sister's voice cut through the veil of enrapture, backed off as much as she could without making a noise. The air, now filled with embarrassment and awkwardness, made Nepgear squirm in place as she began reflecting on what she had just done.

Neptune, on the other hand, had apparently retreated some time earlier and had just chosen to watch her sister slowly run her womanly fingers over the sleeping boy. Nepgear saw that Neptune had a very neutral and calm expression while she did nothing but watch her, though that didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable.

"Y-you've got it wrong, Big Sis! I was just confirming what you had said when you mentioned the smoothness of his skin! It was enjoyably smooth, but not to the point of complete absorption where'd I'd be okay with running my hands over it all day! Nope, it's nothing like that! Don't misunderstand me!" Nepgear, now red-faced and flustered like a maiden on Valentine's, had begun flailing her arms while she attempted to defend herself.

"You should really just leave the dishonesty and denial to Miss 'I Have No Friends' in Lastation, Nep. Jr! She's got the experience that no one can trump, believe me!" Neptune joked with a wide smile as she jumped back up to her feet and pointed in the general direction of their neighboring rival city.

"Um...Big Sis?" Nepgear, having seemingly ignored Neptune's spiel of Lastation's CPU, was focusing her attention on something else instead with wide eyes. Neptune, noticing the sudden shift, quickly switched topics and addressed her sister with a slightly bigger tad of seriousness.

"Yeah, Nep. Jr?" Neptune asked curiously, leaning towards her sister like a crane.

"What do we do when he wakes-"

"I'm already awake."

* * *

_Like HELL anyone can stay asleep after hearing something like that._

That one thought, my mouth itching to yell it as a powerful punchline, circled around in my mind as I yawned loudly and sat back up into a normal sitting position. I stretched my chest, moving my shoulders backwards, and rotated my neck a bit before I took more surveillance of my situation.

Well, let's see...the most important figures of the nation were standing and sitting right in front of me with clueless looks on their faces. And a moment ago, they had been feeling my skin and saying it was as smooth as a model's.

If I had to be frank, I would say that I couldn't feel as confident in my manliness as I once was now that it had been said.

I turned my gaze to the right.

In front of me sat Neptune, the goddess of Planeptune and Console Patron Unit, as well as the leader of the nation. She just stared at me with a small smile and sparkling, friendly eyes. In her hand, she had just whipped out a can of potato fries from god knows where and begun stuffing her mouth with the contents as fast as possible. I watched as crumbs began falling to the floor since her cheeks were stuffed to the brim.

_Where did that can come from?_

Ignoring the question I had just asked myself, I turned to the other member of the room.

The CPU Candidate, as well as little sister to Neptune, of Planeptune was sitting down on the rug with wide eyes as she clutched her right hand to her frame as if she were attempting to shield it from...something. Her face was bright red, as if she had just received a love confession. The idea was one that appealed to me, in a way, but I also felt a bit strange when the thought had occurred to me.

"Er...let's see...hi there. I'm Akai. You are?" I already knew their identities, but they don't know me. And if I were to say that I already know about them, I'd come off as one of the strangest people they've met. And considering the plethora of enemies and companions these two have, I'd rather not be on the stranger roster of characters. And so, I chose to introduce myself cordially with a bow and a smile.

"Wow, you sure get to business quick. Did you go to business school? Not that I doubt it if you said you would just because your outfit looks dirty and cut up and everything...you know, just asking..." Neptune asked, any and all sense of formality flying out of the Basilicom window. She quickly drank down the remainder of potato fries in her tin can and tossed it to the side without looking. As I followed the cylindrical container with my eyes, I saw it strike the wall with a light and quiet clang before falling straight into the wastebasket near the wall.

Somehow, it was the same wastebasket that had been strapped to a rocket a moment earlier.

_How did...?_

I shook my head, choosing not to mind it instead.

All of that aside, Neptune's character was as I had expected it to be. Tactless, ditsy, almost plain idiotic, adorable and fun. She just rolled over once and returned to the same position she was in a moment ago, only in a different spot, before whipping out a box of orange juice. Within the span of a second, I witnessed the amazing sight of a full box being drained to dryness and collapsing in on itself.

She removed her lips from the straw and exclaimed a loud "Aah!" before she crumpled the tetra pack and tossed it to the far side of the room. It landed effortlessly into the wastebasket like the previous piece of trash she had tossed, and I chose from that moment on not to pay attention to the arc of the thrown waste.

I switched my attention back to Nepgear.

Now fully conscious and able to use her body with no problems whatsoever, she had gone into repetitive apology mode.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was touching your face and your arms and your skin and- just, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never do something like that again, so please forgive me!" Bowing over and over again with closed eyes and a mouth that was moving so fast I could swear that it was moving on fast-forward. Her mid-length purple hair was waving and flying back and forth as she bowed, making it appear almost comical how her bangs were beginning to cover her face.

I felt a bit bad for her, even if I hadn't done anything wrong at all.

From another person's point of view, this situation might even look kind of strange, so I decided to just let any bygones be bygones.

I walked forward and reached for Nepgear's shoulder with my hand, and I managed to grasp it firmly as she rose back up and attempted to bow again. As her frame stopped against my palm, her eyes that shone and sparkled with moistness in the light of the candles atop the chandelier lit up with surprise. She stopped mid sentence as she did, and I smiled internally.

I was pretty sure I was showing some of it on my face too.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. And don't keep apologizing. I should've spoken up once you guys woke me up, so it's kind of my fault as well." I said, speaking another side of what could be the truth.

_That oughta calm her down._

And it did.

Nepgear, nodding silently in reply, gently prompted me to remove my hand from her small shoulder by placing hers above my own. Sensing it, I removed my hand and sighed while slacking my shoulders.

_Well, all's well that ends we-_

And suddenly, I felt an extremely powerful impact strike my back. I felt the pain run through my nerves as I stumbled forward, and then I turned around to face the person who did it.

It was just Neptune, though how she had suddenly changed into a baseball uniform is beyond my level of comprehension.

"That's my Akai! You sure know how to hit the ball out of the park! Now make sure you don't get any strikes, or I'mma send you outta the end-zone with a flamin' baseball swing that can defeat any curveball with ease!" Neptune announced, her eyes suddenly transforming into massive bonfire-like wisps of flame that seared me with the pure heat of passion.

"Big Sister! Don't just hit Akai for no reason! He doesn't even know you yet!" Nepgear reasoned out behind me as she ran around me and clung to her sister's arm. Her expression became that of a pleading dog, and I noticed a very dangerous glint in the CPU's eyes. I saw her arm slowly reaching for something in her pocket, and I squinted to look.

When I managed to focus my vision, I could see various...questionable pictures of Nepgear on the gallery of photos that she was secretly navigating through. As she looked at Nepgear and distracted her thoroughly, Neptune quickly snapped a photo with her phone and saved it with a single swipe and touch before returning it to her pocket inconspicuously.

I decided not to mind it after seeing her beginning to secretly post the pictures on some social networking websites I dared not to look at. One of them looked suspiciously like what I imagined the website of Nepgear's Fan Club to be, and I smiled in spite of myself.

It was the kind of thing I'd never get to see in my ordinary world and my ordinary lifetime.

"No, Nepgear! In order to establish close relationships with anyone, and especially men, close contact and rough play is mandatory! And your first mission will be to defeat this man and become ever closer than before!"

_Wait, what?_

I had foolishly decided to stop paying attention to the conversation taking place in between the two sisters, and now I was coming to regret it.

"Alright, Big Sis! If that's what you say...!" Nepgear's eyes now burned with an even brighter flame than the one in Neptune's eyes, and she drew a blade out of the air. As she twirled it and pointed it at me with a challenging aura exploding from Nepgear, I felt a complete loss for words staining my mouth.

I'd forgotten how easy it is to wrap Nepgear up in the heat of the moment and make her do whatever you want.

As she lunged at me with her glowing Beam Sword, I felt my luck run out completely.

* * *

And that had been two hours ago.

The mere memory was unbelievably draining to bring to mind, and I felt exhausted mentally and physically. Nepgear had chased me all throughout the Basilicom, earning the both of us some stares and weirded-out expressions.

The staff was used to the two sisters acting strange, but a third party (and a guy, at that) was not something they were not accustomed to yet. I had also earned the majority of glares from every single Staff Member of the building, reinforcing my image as _suspicious freeloader_.

I felt my body scream with relief as I fell onto the cushions below me, ignoring the wrappers and plastic bags that littered the floor.

Nepgear certainly was a difficult opponent, even when she wasn't fighting seriously. She was able to duel with me while I was at my wariest, and she had absolutely no problems with trying to attack me. Whether or not this meant she was okay with killing me was a matter I'd decided to leave up to debate.

"Hey! Don't fall asleep on me! You're gonna look like a dead body, and then I'm gonna have to report you! And it's gonna look really weird when the police see a dead teenage boy's body in the CPU's bedroom. They're gonna think you were sniffing my underwear so much that you died of happiness or something, or that I had killed you after you'd done something weird. And, no matter which way that goes, it's gonna make me look weird. So get up before I start mounting and slapping you!"

I looked up from my lying position, and Neptune was sitting right next to my side with two controllers in her hands. She gave me her signature smile and pulled me up with her arms. I felt the immense inhuman strength surge my body into a sitting position.

And then I felt my body slamming into the far wall.

"Whoopsies! I forgot that I shouldn't do that, since I accidentally killed the last neutral mob that I did that to!" I heard Neptune's excuse, and I felt like slapping myself exasperatedly and smiling simultaneously. Pushing my arms against the wall, I extracted myself from the wallpaper and cleared away the rubble surrounding me. When I looked, there was a perfect human shape pressed into the wall as if some expert architect and aesthetics designer had placed it there for the sake of decoration.

I felt stupid. And I felt happy as well.

"Neptune, how about I take you up on that video game offer?"

* * *

"Histoire, are you sure he's in the other dimension?"

"I'm very sure, Kei. He must have accidentally been pulled into another one when they had attacked us earlier."

"But how are we going to get him back now that he's over there?"

"Don't worry about that, Mina. We can contact the 'me' over there so that we can manage to transport him here somehow."

"Don't sound so wishy-washy! It's because of plans like this that my beloved Bis Sis Vert ended up-"

"And how do you think I feel, Chika?! Rom and Ram suffered the same fate, as well as Lady Blanc, yet I was powerless to stop anything. CFW Linda and Pirachu command too much power and authority!"

"Stop your fighting, you two. It's either we go with Histoire's plan or we do nothing and wait here to get murdered violently by their new army."

"I'm glad you agree with me, Kei."

"One last question, Histoire."

"Yes, you three?"

"If he's in that world, do you think he managed to activate the **CC**?"

"...don't worry about that, he got it once he fell out of the sky."

* * *

In another world, a palace of dark and ominous steel stood amongst mountains of rubble and broken buildings. The sky was a dark magenta and flashed with purple lightning, the booming thunder resounding throughout the horizon. The faint white sun shone with a dim light as the graveyard of crumbling stone towers and faded roads bathed in the rays.

And in that palace bathed with the aura of sinister intent and evil desire, a single woman was livid with rage.

"Where are those four?! I thought I ordered you to storm their base, kill all of the rebels AND capture them ALIVE?!" A green haired woman, garbed in black robes accented with blood red stripes, stomped the ground with enough force to crack the tiles apart. Her face, one that screamed of infuriation and frustration, glared down at a single man in a cadet uniform.

"I'm terribly sorry, Lady Linda! I have no excuses to offer!" The frightened man bowed as deeply as he could, his head close to brushing the floor. His sweat and tears were dripping like a faucet left to run, and it struck the floor like raindrops.

"Well, that's the last time!"

With that final remark, Linda growled in anger and snapped her fingers. Instantly, magenta light sparked and crackled throughout the whole room, making the entire building shake and shudder. The man, scared beyond sanity, fell onto his rear end as he beheld the woman in front of him.

Linda, now garbed in a tight dark olive green leotard, was now floating just above the floor. Around her, small glowing objects in various different shapes floated around her in an orbit. Her shins and arms were covered by armor that pulsated with a sickly purple light, and patterns of the same color ran down her legs and arms. Her eyes were glowing with the magenta that she emanated, and she clenched a massive iron morning star in one gauntlet-augmented hand. The metallic claws that protected fingers made hollow noises as they clattered against the weapon of iron that was larger than life, and Linda brandished it as easily as one would a piece of wood.

With a single swing, she turned the man into a splatter of blood and flesh on the floor.

"Damn incompetent bastards...damn slippery Oracles..." Linda spat as she hefted the massive morning star onto her shoulders and turned her back.

"How did the operation go, chu~?" Suddenly, a very cute and squeaky voice cut through the air. Linda paused and turned to face the person, or rodent, who owned the voice.

It belonged to a miniature mouse that was shorter than Linda's legs, yet he emanated massive amounts of magic power that even Linda's new-found power would have to think twice before tackling head-on. His gray skin and rodent ears were complemented by the black and red mantle he wore that trailed behind him on the floor. He gave Linda a pestering and inquisitive look, and she felt her nerve snap.

"It went horribly, punk! Those four damn bitches got away before we could catch 'em, and they even killed off half the squadron we sent after them by blowing up the base! We're back to square one, with no clues on where they went either, okay?!" Linda exploded, her weapon striking the floor in her rage.

Pirachu just looked at the cracked crater in the floor before looking back to Linda.

"On my end, the cloning process is going smoothly, chu~ Within the next month, we shall have the complete army ready, chu~ There seem to be no problems with brainwashing them either, chu~" The rodent responded, not paying heed to the over-sized blunt weapon that his partner was holding.

"Of course not. Trick's good at that. What about Judge? Is he training them well?" Linda asked, her volatile state receding slightly, though she was still breathing heavily.

"I'm afraid that he might kill some of the clones during their training regimen, but there are no problems otherwise, chu~" Pirachu responded, and he suddenly floated higher so that he was eye to eye with Linda.

"...and Magic?" Linda asked.

"She's working on establishing a big enough portal for the whole army to march through so that we can invade the Ultradimension, chu~"

"Excellent." Linda sneered as she reverted back to her old form.

"Within a month, we'll be able to get Lady Arfoire back and build her a throne worthy of her true name. Even if we have to build it for her with our very own bones."


	7. Chapter 6: A New Friend

**Chapter 6: A New Friend**

"Rowf!"

"Shh!" I whispered harshly as I stuffed the creator of the loud animalistic noise into my suspiciously large bag, which was a brown leather messenger bag that was strapped to my right shoulder. My ears picked up on the chatter of voices around the corner, and I quietly cursed and made a turn backwards. I sprinted to the far end of the hallway and grabbed the end of the corner, making a turn and slamming my shoulder into the wall as I hid at the end of the wall. My breathing began to lighten up, becoming shallower and shallower as I heard the voices pass by the hallway. When the voices faded out of my edge of hearing, I let out a faint sigh and looked back into my bag.

Inside, a single blue Dogoo stared back up at me with an adorable smile as it wagged its ears and tail in its own excitement. I felt a stupid grin creep onto my own face as I laid eyes on the creature, and I re-zipped the bag.

It has already been a day since I had begun to live in the Basilicom. IF and Compa seemed a bit sad to see me leave, but Histoire seemed to have told them a good enough reason for me to stay around the Basilicom. Compa had been kind enough to pack me a lunchbox full of food good for a whole week in the event of the staff food being disagreeable, and she had offered to cook for me whenever I was to visit. The offer was very kind of her, and I told her I would take her up on it whenever I was nearby. IF just remained mostly silent as I was saying goodbye, which seemed a bit strange to me.

_I would have liked to live there a bit longer..._

But in my haste, I had forgotten something important. Or rather, someone.

Ever since my sudden appearance, there had been that lone little Dogoo I had somehow managed to befriend in the mysterious forest. And when I had lived in IF's and Compa's house, he had been staying somewhere I couldn't recall. I think that Compa had a little doghouse her grandfather had left to rot, and that she had let the Dogoo stay there for the meantime.

But I hadn't been keeping him as my companion, so I hadn't exactly been bringing around the Dogoo with me everywhere I had went. Especially in the incident with the Ancient Dragon? He'd have died in the middle of that.

And now that I was living here, there was somewhere safe for the Dogoo to live again.

I had already consulted Neptune and Nepgear on this matter, but they had told me yesterday that pets of any kind were not allowed on the Basilicom premises. And they definitely would veto the presence of a monster within a goddess' home, so negotiating was out of the question.

And so, I was smuggling him as per Neptune and Nepgear's suggestion.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. I quickly grabbed the edge of the corner and used it as a spring, throwing myself at the far wall of the hallway. Once I hit it leg first, I redirected myself and jumped into the hallway I had just hidden from, rolling and slamming my back into the wall to hide my figure.

I heard more voices of staff workers, and I listened carefully as they began to walk away. Once their voices became inaudible, I stood back up and began sprinting.

Thanks to practicing architecture in school back on Earth several months ago, I had managed to memorize the layout of the Basilicom yesterday. I knew which bend led to which hallway and what that hallway led to. As I sprinted down seeming similar halls in my attempt to sneak around the staff, I quickly rounded another corner and found myself facing a set of stairs.

I began scaling it three steps at a time, launching myself with a little jump each time I smashed my foot into the purple tiled steps. I kept my jumping bag close to my body so that it would not make movements that would upset the occupant. I hit the top of the stairs and began running for my room.

Unbelievably, there was a whole unused floor in the Basilicom that had been ignored for the whole of its lifespan that they had let me use to my liking. The door was a bit old, but it fulfilled its purpose as I swung it open on old oiled hinges that made a little metallic creak as I entered the massive room and closed it behind me.

The whole floor was a single room, so I had a tremendous amount of space to move around in. The entire room's farther walls were made of glass, so I could see the outside world without having to bother with going outside of pulling up window blinds. Best of all, there was an option of having the glass becoming tinted and filtered so that no one could see me if I didn't want them to.

The whole floor was carpeted with a lush carpet of dark purple accented with shades of royal blue, soft to the feet when one decidedly removes their shoes to feel it on their soles. The floor itself was made of light purple tiles made of ceramics of some sort, cool to the touch but not too cold. The ceiling, made of lilac-painted wood, was decorated with various ceiling ornaments like a chandelier-lamp and a few scattered lights here and there.

A ways off to my right, I saw a massive black couch the size of two beds with cushions the size of a normal pillow facing towards a massive LCD screen television hooked up to several gaming systems. When I looked at the cabinets near the television, there was a massive game library within it.

I knelt down gently and placed the bag carefully onto the floor, unzipping it as I did. Immediately, the Dogoo jumped out of the bag and landed onto the carpet, beginning to roll over and lounge around in the carpet as I smiled to myself and stood back up. I walked over to the door, where a nice set of hooks was set, and I hung the bag there.

I walked over to the left, where more than a few massive wooden closets larger than a normal refrigerator were waiting for me. I walked over to one of them and opened it up, surveying the clothes hung on clothing racks inside. I looked at the mirror nearby, eyeing my still tattered clothes from the fight yesterday.

Come to think of it, I hadn't even taken a shower yet. I sniffed my armpits in self-consciousness, and I detected the faint scent of sweat. I narrowed my eyebrows and walked out of the walk-in wardrobe, striding across the room towards the bathroom.

I opened the large aqua-blue door and I peered inside, marvelling the cleanliness I had managed to preserve in my one-day stay.

The floor tiles were a clean and pristine white colour, shining almost blindingly when the ceiling lights struck them. I focused on the fact that it was bigger than a normal room, and I couldn't help but smile stupidly to myself. There was no bathtub, only a massive Jacuzzi that could be mistaken for a manmade hot spring along with an array of wooden stools in front of mirrors that could be used for washing oneself. There were also shower heads next to every mirror, and small racks for soap and shampoo and anything else one might need.

I removed my clothes hastily and tossed them into the nearby laundry basket carelessly before striding into the room in my birthday suit. I stretched my back and lowered myself into the already soothingly warm jacuzzi water and felt all of my previous tension and energy begin to melt into the gentle water. I felt a relaxed smile spread onto my face and I leaned back onto the edge of the jacuzzi.

Today was a weird day, that's for sure.

I felt my troubles and my stress being absorbed into the warm water that surrounded me, and that filled me with a sense of ease and calm. I felt my drowsiness slowly begin to creep inside my mind, which I batted away in stubbornness while I fought to stay conscious. After time passed, minutes uncounted, I felt the steam and the mist begin to make me feel a tad dizzy. Steadying myself by gripping the edges of the Jacuzzi, I stood up and out of the water before taking a single, large and cautious step out of the bath and onto the bathroom floor. As I turned off the heater and the lights, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the massive closets that were stored on another side of the room.

I walked through the door, beholding the array of closets spread out in front of me. I swivelled one of the doors open, and I watched as clothing rack after clothing rack revealed their contents to me. Various kinds of clothes, of both male and female intention, were laid out in a neat and orderly manner. I brushed past a ball gown and a tuxedo that was next to a Western Cowboy styled outfit complete with a ten-gallon hat and browsed more of the contents, still clothed in nothing but a single lilac towel that wrapped itself around my waist. My hand ran around a fur coat and stopped when I felt smooth and comfortable material that seemed wearable for someone like me, and I grabbed the sleeve and pulled it out unceremoniously.

I was staring at a dark red smooth leather coat that had midnight black cuffs. When I tried lifing it up, it was extremely heavy even for my trained muscles. I liked how the look was, though, so I placed it onto my shoulder and kept browsing the contents of the closet. I drifted to the next door and opened it, revealing another sea of cloth. I looked inside, braving the intense amount of dust that the rummaging was kicking up. I spotted an interesting pair of black pants with crimson highlights, and I removed it off of its hangar and hung it over my arm before closing the door and opening the drawer nearest to me. Strangely, it was filled with large amount of clean underwear, and I pulled out a pair of boxers and placed that onto my pants before looking around.

There was obviously a specific layout to these closets, in hindsight.

I walked over to one of the ones on the left and opened it, and I glared at the sight of innumerable shirts being displayed before me. I looked around the closet and sighed in defeat before grabbing a simple black t-shirt from the rows and closing the door. I put on the clothes, grimacing in a slight bit of regret when I felt the intense weight of the coat weigh down my shoulders and assault my back. I stretched my neck to the sides as I looked over my old shoes in the corner.

They were nice black sneakers with a white base when I had bought and worn them, but the visit to Gamindustri and the battle with the Ancient Dragon has rendered it very haggard and injured. The fabric was already peeling and flecked in several places, and it looked very old compared to how it was a few days ago.

I looked over to another closet and opened it, widening my eyes in surprise when I saw the sheer amount of shoes that was left there in rows. Surveying the army of shoes, I pulled out a nice pair of leather boots that seemed really heavy and I donned them, tying the laces and securing them extra tight.

Out of the corner of my eye as I closed the drawers, I noticed a rack of items that had the word **Miscelleaneous **on it. As I walked over to it, I saw collections of hats and gloves as well as some more questionable items like gun holsters and sword sheaths. My gaze focused on a very solid pair of dark red leather gloves, and I noticed the deadly looking metal circles on each knuckle. I felt a certain kind of giddiness rise up when I saw it, and I took it off and wore them. They were fingerless as well, so I felt the _**badass factor **_increase tenfold.

I walked out of the room feeling like a new person, what with my new wardrobe and all. As I looked myself up and down in the mirror, my mind wandered to the fight I had experienced some time ago.

Disregarding the fact that I had to fight an Ancient Dragon the instant I had gotten it, I had obtained a new weapon.

_How the hell do I use it, though?_

Judging by what had happened back then, it was a tool that was heavily reliant on my imagination as well as my skill. It also drains my energy whenever I create something, which is a flaw to the otherwise highly diverse weapon. I had even created a very impractical weapon, a sickle and chain, and used it to great effect.

Did it increase my skill with the weapons? I didn't know, and I have not gone to find out if it did just that.

I felt my train of thought suddenly crash when I felt a small and warm object strike me in the back, and I stumbled forward before casting my arms in front of me. I managed to halt my fall by bracing myself against the mirror. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the Dogoo clinging onto my shoulder.

I felt a smile spread onto my face, and I took the Dogoo with my hands and held it to my chest. I felt the warmth spreading through my hands and moving into my body; the warmth of a living creature. I felt some sort of companionship from the small pet I was holding in my hands, and I even began to think the creature in front of me was cute to some extent.

It wasn't ugly, that's for sure. It was probably one of the most adorable beasts in the whole of Gamindustri, based on my experience from the game.

It turned around, still in my grip, and wagged its jelly tail and barked again with that same ridiculous smile on its face. I felt a sense of familial happiness and comfort being placed into my chest, and I hugged it a bit more closely.

_I wonder if this is how dog owners feel...?_

I suddenly began to feel a repressed memory emerge in my head, and I felt vivid mental images begin to take priority in my brain.

It was when I was younger, and I had a pet dog.

She was a Labrador, the perfect breed for being a kind and considerate pet. She grew up with me, since she was a pup when I was only a baby. As I played around with her, she and I were nearly inseparable friends. Even when I got older, she was still around for me when I needed and wanted her.

Then one day, I decided to take him for a walk while I was jogging.

She ran alongside with me as I took to a relaxed jogging pace, and we just ran like that for a good long while. Doing nothing but enjoying the cool breeze and the light of the afternoon sun, she and I were like brother and sister side-by-side. It didn't really matter when some people would give me some strange looks, since she and I were together and having fun.

But when I was looking away, I'd made the mistake of jogging back onto the street and onto the crossing.

It was a horrible experience.

My mind remembered nothing of how it happened except that it retained some memory of my body being struck and tossed forward, and the feeling of pain as my skin collided and slid across the asphalt.

The next thing I knew, there was blood that wasn't mine.

I remember running over to her in a dazed panic and smoothing over her ruffled golden brown fur that had been matted and dampened with blood.

I remember the smell of metal and rust stained with that same blood wafting in the air as if fate had decided to snip a thread of life with her scissors.

I remember as my young self hugged her to my frame, wishing she wouldn't leave me all alone. I remember people slowly patting my back and my head as the cold and bitter sadness-laced tears traced down my cheeks and drip onto the pool of blood that belonged to my newly departed friend.

I blinked back a few tears as I looked down at the Dogoo in my arms, looking up at me with a smiling ridiculous face as if it had just been greeted on its birthday with a surprise party.

I felt the overwhelming urge to understand it, suddenly.

The vivid recollection of my long dead companion suddenly made me realize that I'd never gotten to see if I could understand her emotions and feelings like she somehow understood mine. And if I were to keep another one like her...I wouldn't make the same mistakes.

_I want to understand you._

Suddenly, when that thought rang through my head, I felt my body begin to grow abnormally hot. I felt my head suddenly throb with a dull ache and my limbs go weak, and the room began to spin around me.

I dropped the Dogoo and fell onto the mirror, trying my utter best not to break it into shards. I gritted my teeth and tried to stand back up perfectly, attempting to ignore the sudden strange sensations.

And suddenly, it disappeared.

I felt my eyes blink in surprise as the sudden dizzy spell vanished in an instant. I stood back up straight and looked around, feeling confused and a bit daze from the attack.

_What on earth just happened?_

I had absolutely no idea how to answer my own question.

As I stood back up and straightened my spine, I felt a foreign object in the middle of my right palm. I brought my hand to my face and peered inside. Resting in the midst of my hand was a small tablet that looked like something that would be medicine.

_...why is this here?_

I have no recollection of keeping **any** kind of medicine on my person, and I have no need for any kind of medication. My thoughts drifted to the possibility of the tablet being created by my new ability. I let the thought entertain me for a bit before I let it go and stood back up properly. I closed my fist around it and I looked back to the Dogoo that was staring at me from below. It barked cutely and I sighed and walked over to it, picking it back up and hugging it to my frame.

It only took a moment for the creature to suddenly begin wagging its tail violently and snatch the pill out of my hand. It took a moment for the Dogoo to gobble up the pill, and another moment for the fact to register.

Suddenly, the creature in my hands began to shine brightly with a blinding light that shot needles of fire into my eyes. I dropped the monster in a blind daze and shielded my eyes in response. I felt the light and heat begin to intensify and fill the whole room. I felt my skin being heated and warmed up to an intense degree, as if I were standing on the surface of the sun.

And then, just like everything else so far, the light dimmed down and disappeared in a near-instant.

I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the new brightness of the room. I rubbed my left eye as I looked around. Nothing had changed in the room, no scorch marks or magical symbols that might have appeared for wahtever convoluted reason that would care to explain itself within the confines of this room.

I breathed a sigh of relief and took a deep breath before looking over to the Dogoo.

I felt that deep breath I had just taken exit my lips in the next instant.

"Rowf!"

The Dogoo was still there. Or rather, I guess you could say it was still there.

A girl, around the age of twelve or so, was sitting on the floor looking completely dazed and dumb. She stared at me with the same affectionate expression I had seen twinkling in the Dogoo's eyes a moment ago. She made a barking sound, but now it sounded far more femininely human than before.

Her skin was quite fair, as if she had a complexion that was enhanced with lotion and blessed by nature. Her hair was short, only reaching the top of her nape. Her eyes were a relaxing shade of light blue that lit up with joy and cheeriness.

Oh, and she was stark naked.

I felt the heat rise to my face, and I quickly sprinted back to the closet and opened the doors one by one in a frantic manner. I skimmed the clothing racks at light speed and grabbed the nearest set of feminine clothes and underwear before running back to the living room and tossing them to her while looking away.

"I don't know if you can understand me right now, but if you can, then do as I tell you and put that on!" I said, averting my eyes to the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.

No noise was made, but I heard the sound of clothing being put on thanks to the sounds of clothing on skin. Once the rustling sounds had stopped, I took a quick peek behind me.

The girl was now wearing a light blue shirt three sizer bigger than what she really was, and her pants were still unzipped but on her legs.

_No matter how I try to make it look, this looks very dangerous._

If anyone were to walk in right now, I would probably be branded with names that would get me sent to prison.

"Err...I need to find Histoire." That was the last thing I said before I ran out the door.

* * *

I wasn't expecting it at all. It was completely unprecedented and unaccounted for. I felt my headache begin to throb even more intensely.

I was staring at a little girl no older than the age of twelve staring back up at me with a face that looked like a dumb little infant. Her eyes were glistening as they stared at me with an endless curiosity, like a light blue abyss.

"And so...you're telling me that this girl...was a..." I trailed off as he looked at me with a troubled expression.

"A Dogoo...don't ask me about why. It just sorta...happened." I sighed deeply as he replied, and I massaged my temples in an attempt to make some of the dull ache disappear.

I was now in Akai's new room, after he had called my attention in the midst of my work. He had just slammed the door open extremely loudly, as if a table had been smashed into the floor by a steel wrecking ball. Without a word, he had lifted me up from the table and placed me onto my Tome before carrying me all the way to his room.

I couldn't help but feel like there was a minor lack of explanation.

"What happened, exactly?" I asked him, and he just averted his gaze to the T.V as if it were airing the most interesting late-night anime.

"For no reason, I suddenly felt a dizzy spell and a moment of weakness strike. When it was over, I found a medicine tablet in my hand. And when the Dogoo accidentally ate it...it turned into that." He explained in a tone that clearly implied that he didn't want to waste more than 5 seconds on the explanation.

"That sounds very intriguing. I'll have to record that information for later use, and also to report to the Guild Scientists. Was there anything going on that I should know about? Important phenomena or something?" I asked in reply, writing down the current conversational topic and corresponding information into the tome below me.

"Nothing in particular, really." He said, still averting his gaze to the side. When I took a closer look, I could see his expression was wincing.

Like there was something he didn't want to talk about.

_I have no right to ask about anything personal, though._

"All right, then. I'll be taking the Dogoo with me, then. Let's go no-"

"Wait." Akai held an arm in front of my path and blocking me from proceeding. He gazed at me with a very conflicted expression, and I could feel something clashing inside of him. Two sides to a war meeting swords within his body, and it felt very imposing and menacing.

"Is something the matter, Akai?" I asked him politely, turning to face him properly. He lowered his arm and looked to the Dogoo with a complicated expression, one that was layered with a smile of many kinds.

"...is it okay if I keep her?" He asked, and I felt my head fly out the window.

"...for what purpose might you want to..." I was about to interject, but I stopped mid-sentence when I saw an emotion in his eyes. They were filled with protectiveness, yearning and a kind of affection as they gazed upon the small girl. It looked like the kind of face and expression an affectionate big brother might treat his cute little sister. I'd seen that expression many times on Neptune's face, but never one that was so serious and emotionally conflicted.

It looked like something I couldn't help but keep silent at that expression.

"Very well. You shall be responsible for keeping her, and you will be taking care of her as you see fit. However, she is a human now, so please keep in mind the mannerisms that are important for properly regarding a little girl." I said, and I turned around without another word and exited the room. I closed the door behind me, and I felt my back hit the cold wood.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep, longing sigh.

"It must be nice...to have someone you can treat like family."

* * *

"Alright, so what can I call you?" I wondered out loud as I let my tired body crash raggedly onto the soft couch. The little girl-Dogoo just yelped and jumped onto the couch next to me and nuzzled my arm. With its new arms, that it was trying to get used to, she clung onto me and continued nuzzling my midsection.

I smiled and placed my hand onto the top of her head, running my fingers through her hair. Her hair was a light mahogany brown, and ran down to the top of her nape. She also had two bangs longer than the rest of her hair, and they stretched down a bit lower than the rest of her hair. They reminded me of the ears that the Dogoos had.

But despite her new body, the Dogoo-girl had no expressions to speak of.

For the entire time she's changed form, she has not made another expression besides her blank and unchanging one. It was almost disturbing, seeing a little girl rubbing her head onto my arm with a completely unchanging face.

"I suppose you can't really help me out here, huh?" I asked her, but she just ignored me and continued hugging my midsection as if it were a pillow.

Maybe she wasn't ignoring me. Maybe she just couldn't understand me.

_The monsters can't speak English after all..._

With that in mind, I began trying to think of a good name for it. Various different names began popping up in my head thanks to my Japanese blood and culture like Shiori and Kanade.

"Hmm...Yamada? Ayumi? Shino?" I unconsciously asked her, but it continued to ignore me. I sighed and continued my train of thought when-

"HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!" Suddenly, my door burst open and a figure back flipped through the entranceway as if it were the portal to Boogie Wonderland. I had no idea to react as the person who had so rudely barged into my room without as much as a knock on the door.

Launching herself into the air with her arms, she sprung and performed another graceful spin before landing perfectly on her own two feet and shot me a smile and a "peace" sign.

It was Neptune.

"What might my tenant be trying to do without the landlord noticing? Is he trying to elope with a girl young enough to get him sent to prison without trial?! That won't do! But since I am the leader of this nation, isn't the person who should lock the door and swallow the key too big for my throat supposed to be me? Hmm...what an interesting dilemma..." She pointed a finger at me, then began to trail off into her own dialogue. I felt confusion rattle my brain as I witnessed her suddenly sit down onto the floor in a cross-legged position as she lost herself in thought.

Neptune was a random girl. I had to learn to deal with her in person, instead of watching other people deal with her on a screen.

"Err...Neptune? What are you...?" I began, but Neptune suddenly glared at me with an accusing stare.

"Silence, criminal. You have the right to remain silent, and I'll be darned if you don't!" She yelled out loud enough for the Basilicom to hear, and I winced at the loudness of her voice.

"Err...this girl is actually a Dogoo who became human." I said, and Neptune looked at me with this inquisitive look.

She then began to look at me with a face of complete and utter belief, like there was absolutely no reason for her not to believe my words. Seeing that kind of face on her filled me with some sort of guilt, like I'd rather see her mock me than believe me.

It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, and not to mention how complicated it was.

"Oh, is that the case? Well, then that's fine for now since there aren't any ethics rules around here that involve the monsters close by. But be warned: bestiality is not a very common preference around here." Neptune said, wagging her finger after every word."

"Well, you believed me quickly. I'm trying to come up with a name for her. How about it? Mind helping me out?" I asked her, half-expecting her to blow it off and walk away with an absent-minded smile on her face.

"Sure thing! But I don't know much good kiddy names, so I'll be right back with Nep Jr!" With that, she took off through the door while rustling up a strong gust of wind in the process.

I felt a sigh and another smile spread my face wide, but this one was filled with a little more energy than before.

"Hmm...Aoi?" I blurted out.

It immediately got a reaction. The girl suddenly looked at me with an attentive gaze, and it was so sudden that I couldn't understand what had just happened for a moment. She gazed at me with an intense and focused stare that left me almost itching in discomfort, and I placed my hand on top of her head and began stroking it. Immediately, her eyes began to droop downwards and she rested her head on my arm again.

Thinking back on it, I can't believe it just had to be that name.

That was the name of my friend that died all those years ago.


	8. Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm**

_It's quite strange. _

That's what I thought while perusing through the volumes of information that I had stored in my office archives, the book barely managing to hover in the air with the amount of tiny volumes of recorded information that I was browsing.

The boy named Akai was an anomaly. That much was clear.

I had previously calculated that a normal human had less than a 1% chance of fusing perfectly with the prototype weapon. And the remaining percentage was a calculation I had performed to test if any of the candidates or the actual CPUs had any chance of fusing with it as well.

Their chances were higher, but still lower than 10%.

The remaining percentage was allocated to the serum failing and the patient dying.

_It's very strange. _

Of course, there was a small...minuscule chance of the serum fusing with anyone at all. It wasn't impossible, but it was almost there. And I couldn't just write it off as a miracle because there was a chance of it happening.

_But to think that it happened so soon..._

The uproar from hearing that someone had successfully managed to synchronize with the prototype would bring about some social unrest. The Guild would feel that turmoil the most heavily, since there would be many ambitious applicants who would asking to try out the program for the weapon.

And not to mention the fact that we'd placed the weapon's development and production on hiatus for the very reason that we keep it secret and safe.

It could kill someone.

_Does the fact that Akai comes from another world makes his probability rate higher? _

He was still human. But maybe there was something about him thanks to the dimension he came from that would assist in the synthesizing of the prototype weapon. That certainly was possible.

_And not to mention what he's been doing with it._

After all, he'd just managed to turn a monster into a human a few hours ago.

It went against my faith in my ability to estimate possibility. It certainly was something I hadn't expected to see in my lifetime as an Oracle.

I suddenly heard the door to my office swivel open, and I turned to see who was coming inside without knocking.

I didn't expect to see the same boy I was just pondering about.

"Pardon my intrusion, Lady Histoire." Akai said, a smile on his face. I felt a different kind of smile, though. One that wasn't quite all that happy. One that felt like it was tinged with a slight shade of...bitterness? Dissatisfaction?

He looked tired. And looked like he was looking for help. Looks like I'll have to put aside some work to help him.

"Is there something you need from me? I'm a little busy right now." I said, placing the book I was examining back onto the top of my tome. He just bowed and scratched the back of his head while laughing with what sounded like unease.

"Well...I need some help with Aoi."

_Aoi? _

"Oh, Aoi is the name I gave her." Akai, noting my expression, said as he gestured to the door. When I looked, I saw the little girl that had been the product of a combination of Akai's pet Dogoo and a medicine tablet.

The little girl was standing a little out of the doorway wearing some new clothes, unlike the disorderly ones I had seen earlier. Her massive white t-shirt had been replaced with a smaller white t-shirt , and her legs were now covered with correspondingly light blue pajamas.

"Heh, so you found a nice name for her." I said, feeling a little maternal instinct bubble up within me similar how I feel when I talk about Neptune and Nepgear in conversations with Kei, Mina and Chika. "So, what have you been doing apart from choosing her new clothes?"

"I've been getting her to learn how to speak since she's now human, and it's been going more smoothly than I'd thought it would." Akai said, puffing his chest out with a proud voice and placing his hands firmly onto his hips as if he were boasting to the world like a parent with his "great" child.

I fought back the smile that came up when I thought of that.

"Is that the case? How's that coming along?" I asked him, my curiosity actually blossoming slightly at this prospect. I floated back up and moved a bit to the doorway where the girl was staring at me.

It seemed she wasn't quite used to me yet. As I floated to eye level in front of her, her eyes widened and she immediately in Akai's direction. She quickly hid behind his body and clung to his arm in a seemingly defensive maneuver.

"W...what...that?" She spoke, and her voice came out in an incredibly high pitch as if she had been screened into a Vocaloid program as the filtering system. It was a very squeaky and juvenile sounding, as if she were five years old but somehow sounding a bit older. I felt the shock run through my system when that happened.

It wasn't nearly as bad as I described it, but I still felt a remnant of that shock travel through my system.

"It's only been a while, but I can tell you that you're actually a pretty efficient teacher. Keep up the good work." I praised him cheerfully, clapping her hands together and speaking in a motherly tone.

"Sure thing, Histoire." He responded with a thumbs-up and a grin before walking out the door. He held out his hand, and the little Dogoo girl ran up to him and grabbed onto it like a little child. The two walked out of the door like father and daughter, and I felt the smile on my face try to plaster itself with duct tape and epoxy.

"Cute little girl." I muttered before turning to my papers.

_Akai...sorry, but I'll have to have you do something for me..._

* * *

"Here. What is this?" I held up a white card with the words "I am a Dogoo" scribbled onto it. Aoi looked up at it, her legs splayed to either side as she sat on the floor with her hands planted onto the floor in front of her, and her eyes slowly followed the words on the card.

"I...am...a..." She slowly said in her extremely baby-like voice, her eyes narrowing at the last word on the card. She titled her head sideways questioningly, and I smiled.

"Dogoo." I said to her, and she looked up at me in response with her large blue eyes.

"Dobuu." She repeated clumsily, her mouth refusing to coordinate well enough to pronounce the word correctly, and I felt a laugh well up from inside my chest. I let it out in a soft chuckle, and then I decided to put down the card.

"Akai." A voice broke the calm atmosphere, and I turned to the door to see Nepgear standing there with more cards and books in her arms. I nodded and gestured with my eyes for her to come in. She bowed and entered the room, removing her shoes before she came in, and walked to my side. Kneeling down gently, she placed the books softly onto the rug and looked at Aoi. A small, almost motherly, smile crept onto her face as she reached over and stroked Aoi's hair. Aoi just cooed in response.

"How's Aoi been? Learning fast?" She asked, and I smiled in spite of myself.

"Yeah, she's been learning really quickly. Thanks to those books you guys have been bringing in, I've been teaching her at a non-stop pace and it's working out really well. She'll be able to speak short sentences soon, and then I'll be able to teach her how to speak full sentences soon. Then, it's off to the adjectives and the verbs and all that." I said, gazing fondly at the small girl turning the pages ever so slowly. It was a copy of an old children's book I used to read all the time, and it seemed like she was enjoying the book's company.

"Well, you seem like a really good teacher. When I was watching you, I could really feel like you were making it easy to understand..." Nepgear replied with a gentle tone, and I looked at her in surprise.

"You were watching?" I asked her, and she looked back at me with her own expression of surprise. She covered her mouth in shock and laughed.

"Oh dear, I forgot that I shouldn't have mentioned it. Oh well, it's fine now. Yes, I was silently watching you in the doorway when I came here with the next set of books about ten minutes ago." Nepgear said, her tone slightly embarrassed and shy.

"You shouldn't be sneaking up on people like that, Nepgear." I teased, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Akai. You're right. I apologize." Nepgear, returning the smile, bowed apologetically in the standard way I've seen girls in _anime_ kneel down with their hands placed in front of them.

"You're such a good kid, you know?" I suddenly said, not knowing why I said it. Nepgear looked back up at me, and she tilted her head sideways.

"What makes you say that?" She responded, and I felt a flood of words rush from my head and out of my mouth before I even knew it.

"Well, for starters, you're such a kind person. You're considerate and you aren't afraid to do things for other people, almost to a fault. You're a loving sister, a natural mother and a great friend. You're willing to go out of your way for another person's sake, and you're a brave person who can overcome her fear and adversity given only some time. Neptune could learn a thing or two from you." I heard myself say, and I only felt surprise from it all.

She just looked at me as well, and she just smiled in reply.

"Thank you very much. But please don't think very badly of my sister. She's" She began.

But I cut her off.

And I didn't know why I did.

"I know how she is. She's a noisy girl who's so energetic that she could probably power an entire country through a hamster wheel. She's very rude, almost that she's overbearing, with almost no sense of manners when she's going about her daily routine of having fun. She likes to skip out on her duties and her work, instead preferring to do senseless, unrelated things for the sake of having fun. And she's just so ditsy and single-minded that you almost forget she's smarter than she looks, though sometimes she's not even that smart." I said, not pausing for breath.

_What am I saying? _

"She can be insensitive and over-reliant on other people, including you, Histoire and Noire. She eats too much and never gets fat. But she's so damn powerful you can't do a thing about it. She's headstrong, stubborn and just so damn annoying sometimes." I stopped for breath, pitching forward slightly and inhaling deeply.

Not a word was said for the next few seconds. Only the sound of paper sliding across paper as Aoi read on in ignorance.

"But, that's why I like her." I said, and Nepgear looked at me more intently when I did.

"She knows how to live life. She's interesting. She knows how to have fun. And she knows how to tune out the excess noise so she can focus on what she wants. That's good for her, not so good for us. But it's our job to understand her so that we don't hold her back, yet to be there for her when she needs help. Neptune is a an adorable, ditzy mess of a goddess that makes you question what the criteria for being a CPU is. But she's a CPU, and there's no changing that. Neptune is Neptune. That's that. And the way she is is fine." I finished, exhaling the rest of my pent-up oxygen and taking in another deep one. I held out my hand, and Aoi looked at it before placing hers in it. She squeezed my fingers tightly for an instant before turning back to the book.

She placed the book back down and stood up, walking over to the kitchen. I watched through the open slots in the kitchen section as she pried open the fridge door. She grabbed a juice box, one of the many things I requested after she'd appeared, and stuck a straw a into the hole on top. Sucking it, she toddled back to us and stood in front of me.

"Yes?" I asked her innocently, almost as if I were regarding a preschooler.

She just looked at me, then glanced at my lower body.

"Lap." She spoke very decisively and shortly, and I smiled. I nodded and gestured for her to sit, and she made herself comfortable on my lap. I could feel the warm sensation of her rear on my legs, and it made me slightly more self-conscious.

If the cops were here, they'd probably have shot me three times over by now for assumed pedophilia.

In an anime, anyway.

"...I'm happy you understand my sister. No one's ever gotten so easily used to her like that before."

I turned to Nepgear, who was looking at me with this queer expression.

"I think that you're quite a good person. You even seemed cool when you said that." She said, and I felt a little flush of embarrassment hit me. I scratched the back of my head and laughed, embarrassed.

"No, I'm not cool. In fact, I was a weird person back in my old world." I said, recalling how I spent my days back on Earth.

Years of school gone with eating lunch alone in the student council room, going home alone and relaxing alone. Trying to make friends that just shut me out instead because I was the Student Council President. People who refused to hang out with me for many reasons.

Some thought I was the perfect guy, and didn't dare talk to me because they thought that they weren't on the same level.

Some thought I was all work and no play, so they didn't bother trying to talk me into hanging out and just went to me when they needed me.

Some just didn't care, and left me alone when they didn't need me.

Before I knew it, I was talking about it all. My experiences in school and out of school. The times when I tried to be friendly, and the times when people tried to be friendly to me.

My mouth moved without me realizing it, without me making it move.

I didn't know why. It was like an invisible pressure on my chest, an unidentifiable urge to unload it all off of my chest.

I try not to think about it. And so much things have happened that it never really came back to mind.

But if I think about it, I think that I don't deserve what's happening to me.

I was a disliked man, a social pariah, and a friendless person. And falling into Gamindustri was a dream come true for me, who had let my life become absorbed into anime and video games. It was something unbelievable, and I would only dream of something as amazing as this.

It was incredible, logic-defying and went against nearly all realms of common sense.

And that's why I love it.

"Akai." Nepgear's slightly forced voice snapped me out of my extremely long rant, and I looked to her. She looked at me, pity in her eyes, and she looked down. She brought out a small, white and purple checkered handkerchief.

_A handkerchief? _

She shifted so that she moved closer to me, and she reached the point where she was kneeling directly next to me.

She leaned forward.

"What are you-" I began, but she placed her finger onto my lips.

Without a word, she dabbed the handkerchief at my eyes and my cheeks. When she showed me the fabric, I was startled to see it damp.

"...was I crying?" I asked her, and she smiled and nodded.

"Yes, you were." She said softly, continuing to dab at my face. "...I can't do anything to take that painful memory away, Akai, but the least I can do is wipe your face."

"...thanks." I muttered softly, still unable to believe that there were tears in my eyes. I've hardly cried in my life, and for it to happen here wasn't very good.

"Do you want some tea?" She offered, moving away from me. I looked back to her, and I nodded with a weak smile. She stood up and walked to the door, and I breathed a deep sigh.

As I blinked once, I felt a feeble tug on my sleeve. I looked to my right, and I saw Aoi staring at me with the book in one hand.

"Yes, Aoi? Is something wrong?" I said.

"...you okay?" She asked me in her cute little innocent voice that reminded me of the little sister I'd always wanted to have.

But the question, asked by Aoi, seemed to have a stronger effect than I expected. It seemed to weigh a bit heavily on my heart, and I looked down at my chest. I touched it, feeling my heart beating harshly against my skin.

"...I think so." I finally said after a moment of silence, and I rubbed her on the top of her head.

"Aoi doesn't like it when you feel bad." She said, and she placed her hands on top of the hand on her head. "So...if you feel bad, please get better soon."

I felt a warm feeling spread throughout my body, and I felt it go to my face in the form of a really wide smile.

"I'll do my best. So you'd better do your best too." I said, and she nodded before picking up another book and reading it.

_I guess if I take a nap, I'll feet a bit better._

* * *

As I exited the doorway, I turned to the direction of the Planeptune Basilicom's kitchen.

_Maybe the chamomile tea would be better...I forgot to ask him what tea he'd like. _

As I began walking to the kitchen, I heard the sound of a foot tapping the wall.

"How's he doing?" It was a familiar voice. The voice of my big sister's friend, who'd been through thick and thin with her.

I turned around and greeted her normally.

"Hi there, IF." I said, and she just nodded with a small smile.

"I'll walk with you to the kitchen and bring the tea, too. I have to catch up with him as well." She said, and we began walking down the hallway.

As we walked, I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

She was fiddling with her bangs nervously, her eyes darting everywhere, and she looked quite uneasy. She wasn't wearing her usual oversized coat, but instead a light blue short jacket and a pair of denim jeans.

"He's...going through something at the moment. And he's got a little sister to take care of, now." I said to her, and she just looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

"...little sister?" she said, and I began the long explanation as we reached the kitchen and began making the tea.

Fifteen minutes later, we walked out of the kitchen with a tray of teacups and a teapot.

"...the instant he leaves, he gets into this mess?" IF said with a sigh, and I giggled in response.

"Why? Did he get into trouble often while he was around you?" I asked her curiously, and she sighed again.

"Yeah, he caused an uproar at the Guild that's going to remain an uproar for a long time." She said, and I raised my eyebrow.

_What happened?  
_

As we closed in on the doorway to Akai's room, we both noticed a certain someone floating over to the door.

"Histoire?" I asked her, and IF shared my surprise with her expression. Histoire just looked at us, and she smiled at us tiredly.

"Greetings, Nepgear. Greetings, IF. How have you been?" he asked in her usual polite tone.

"Things have been okay at the house ever since Akai left. More spacious, that's for sure." IF responded jokingly, though I detected a faint trace of bitterness and sarcasm in her voice.

Though I couldn't quite understand why.

Histoire opened the door, and we followed suit behind he as she moved inside.

"...he's asleep." he said in conclusion, and I looked past the tome that blocked my vision.

Indeed, he was sleeping on a floor cushion. Aoi was now reading books at a frantic pace, with her eyes moving across the pages at a frightening speed. I could hear his light breathing all the way from here.

"He must have been tired." IF said, smiling as she walked into the room with the tea tray. She knelt down onto the floor next to him and placed the tray onto the table.

"Agreed. But I must speak to him, so I will wait here." Histoire said, hovering onto the floor next to IF.

With nothing to say, I placed the tray I was holding onto the table as well. Kneeling next to Histoire, I made myself comfortable in _seiza_.

"...IF, why did you come? To be blunt, you didn't really need to come here." Histoire suddenly asked, and IF just averted her gaze.

"I have to speak with him on behalf of the Guild. You?" IF said promptly.

"I need to converse with him on the matter regarding the incident at the Guild as well, if that's why you're here." Histoire replied, closing her eyes and nodding.

"Well...sort of." IF said, crossing her arms and looking at the door as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.

And the three of us just waited in silence as Akai slept. Suddenly, the silence was broken when Aoi put the book down and looked at us. Without a word, she stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she took out a juice box and stuck a straw into it. She closed the refigerator door and walked back to the spot she had been previously sitting in. She pulled a floor cushion over to her, sat down onto it and pulled out a plastic bag of biscuits. She opened it and began eating them.

IF, Histoire and I were kneeling down saying nothing. Almost to the level of being uncomfortable.

_This...is a bit awkward. _

"Aoi?" Suddenly, Histoire spoke up. Aoi looked from her biscuits and stared at Histoire with a piercing, childish gaze.

"How are you?" IF asked in tandem, her _I'm dealing with a child _smile on her face.

"I'm fine. I thought that reading a dictionary would teach me more words, but I don't have one." She said, and I felt surprise blaze a trail through my veins.

_Whoa, she can talk already. _

"There's one over there." I said, pointing at a book considerably thicker than the ones she's put down so far. She glanced at it and crawled over to it, picking it up with her small hands.

She opened it and began looking at the first few pages. Her eyes began darting from line to line at an unbelievable speed, and the three of us just stared in helpless shock at her. A vibe of complete absorption and devotion to the task began to permeate the atmosphere around her.

"...she learns fast, I'll give her that." IF said, blinking a few times and shifting in place.

"At this rate, she'll have a larger grasp of the English language than Neptune." Histoire commented wearily, sighing.

"I think she already does." I said, taking note of the fact that she was already done reading a third of the whole dictionary.

Suddenly, Akai rolled over in his sleep with a groan and startled the three of us. His sleeping face, completely different from his kind expression earlier while he was enjoying his time with Aoi, was lost in gentle slumber.

But there were...

_Why...? _

Histoire looked troubled upon seeing his face, and she looked at me with concerned eyes.

"Why is he crying?" She asked.

I looked at him, and then I looked at her.

I shifted my position so I could sit more comfortably, and the two of them moved to face me.

"...listen. Earlier..."

* * *

…

…

_...mrrgghh..._

All I could see was nothing but blackness, but I didn't care.

I just wanted to sleep.

I felt the sensation of something soft underneath my cheek, and I reached out for it. Grabbing it sleepily, I felt the smooth texture against the skin on my fingers. It was a pleasant sensation, warm and comfortable, that made me feel right at home.

_...should I...get up...?_

I rolled over a bit, and I noticed that my head was inclined. It was at an angle higher than my body, as if I were on a couch.

But I recognized the feeling of the rug below me.

_...I should still be on the floor, sleeping next to Aoi._

But what the hell is this thing below me?

I grabbed it more tightly to try and make sense of what it is, noting the curvature and the hard feeling underneath the surface.

It was warm and comforting, yet somehow firm and sturdy underneath. As I ran my fingers down its length-

"Nyah!" Suddenly, my entire body froze in permafrost-level temperature as I heard a feminine cry pierce the haze of my mind.

I know that voice.

Immediately, I opened my eyes. It only confirmed my fear.

I had been feeling up Nepgear's thigh.

"Forgive me! I'm sorry! Please excuse my rudeness! Let me off with a hundred lashings and a few sword strikes!" I screamed in frantic apology as I immediately scrambled back and got onto my knees and hands in front of the startled girl.

I couldn't see her since my face was pointing towards the floor, so I cringed and waited for the slaps and the physical abuse to come.

One second.

Three seconds.

Seven.

I slowly, and very carefully, looked back up.

Nepgear was just looking at me with this kind, almost motherly, expression as she just waved her hand back and forth. To her left, IF was just averting her gaze away from me. And to Nepgear's right, Histoire hovered at Nepgear's eye level while looking at me with a raised eyebrow on her otherwise blank face.

"It's okay. You were asleep, anyway." Nepgear said, waving her hand dismissively. "Actually...I have to apologize to you. I'm sorry, Akai."

"Sorry? Why?" I asked her, but she just looked to Histoire and to IF. They just looked at her and then me.

"I told them what you had told me earlier. About you and your old world." She said.

I stared at her, and I almost felt like lashing out at her. But when the urge welled up within me, I took a deep breath and pushed it down.

I cannot lash at anyone. Not here.

This is the place I've dreamed of coming to.

I'm not going to let something stupid ruin it for me.

"It's...okay, I guess." I sighed, closing my eyes and letting the matter fly to the wind. I didn't need the added weight on my shoulders. It would only make things harder.

"You were crying."

_What? _

"IF!" Nepgear said a little harshly, but IF just looked at me and ignored her. Her eyes focused on me completely, as if she were paying attention to absolutely nothing else.

"You were crying in your sleep, you know. Of course we'd be worried." She said quietly, and I could see her face getting a little red from saying that.

_That's...gap moe for you. What effect. _

"That aside, I need to have a conversation with you regarding something important, Akai." Histoire said, her tone serious and her eyes serious as well.

"_That aside", huh? _

Said like my problems aren't all that important.

But I braced myself. Whatever Histoire says, it's usually very, very important. I learned that lesson in all the games. Even Nepgear and IF looked at her with looks of business, no fun.

"I tried to do a little digging on your background, but I couldn't find anything in my records. That's to be expected, since you don't originate from this world. However, I believe that the fact that you come from another alternate world has something to do with your ability to synthesize with the serum that was injected into you the other day." Histoire began.

"The weapon." I said to confirm, and Histoire nodded.

"However, I can't get a handle on scanning you without seeing the abilities the serum has granted you. As a result, we now have Aoi." Histoire gestured towards the little girl-Dogoo that was asleep on the floor, passed out on a book. The adorable sight brought a smile to my face, but I wiped it off soon after and looked back at Histoire.

"Isn't it alright if Aoi's around? She won't be causing any harm." I asked Histoire.

"Aoi alone is enough, she's fine. But there is the possibility of your powers doing even more things that have never happened before. There may be the possibility that the balance of nature in Gamindustri will spin out of control. As such, we need to understand just what you can do and how it works. If we don't understand how it works, we may not be able to do anything about it but make it worse." Histoire said matter-of-factly, and I nodded in slightly reluctant agreement.

I hated to say that about my own powers, but Histoire wasn't the Oracle for no reason. With whatever this was, there was the possibility of me being Gamindustri's harbinger of destruction.

"So...I understand that. But where are you going with this?" I asked her, and Histoire looked at me with a slightly grim expression.

"I hate to ask you this, especially since you just got here. But is it alright with you to join the Guild and take Elimination Quests?"

The question was one I'd been trying to avoid ever since IF had tried to ask me it, and it weighed an ounce of guilt on my mind. I looked at IF, but she looked back at me with a smile.

"If you do, I'll be happy to help you out. If you don't, your loss." She said, giving me a thumbs up. Suddenly, one of her phones made a sound. She pulled one out and began texting. Histoire just sighed and turned her head back to face me.

"I will be monitoring you from afar, scanning how your body reacts to the serum and what it does. I can only ask you this, since real life experiences are much better than simulations." Histoire said, a tone of apology in her words.

"No, don't feel bad. I'm the one crashing here, I might as well do something." I said, and Histoire just smiled in return.

"Excellent. I won't have you go alone. Nepgear and Neptune can come along, if you so wish."

Right after the words came after her mouth, the sound of a loud explosion ripped through the building.

Right after the booming soundwaves rattled my teeth, I witnessed an amazing sight.

The sight of Neptune crashing through my window and somersaulting to land on one foot, posing in a manner like a ballerina.

"Big sister?! What are you-" Neptune immediately cut Nepgear off by placing her finger on Nepgear's lips to shush her.

"He he he! My dear little sister, remember well! One can never have too much screen time! And mine has been too little in this fanfiction!" Neptune said, and I just stared at her, unable to understand what she meant.

"Neptune, don't break anything in Akai's room!" With a powerful pull of the earlobe, the mighty CPU of Planeptune was brought below before her Oracle. It was like witnessing a CEO getting scolded by his mother about how to handle money.

"Sorry, sorry! I heard my name, so I came a-calling!" Neptune responded in her usual happy-go-lucky tone, her arms spread to the sky.

_Good grief. _

But I smiled at it anyway.

"Histoire?" I called her attention, and she looked back to me with an expression that looked like she was about to have a migraine.

"Yes, Akai?"

"I'll take them both, if it's all the same to you."


	9. Chapter 8: Omens?

**Chapter 8: Omens?**

"Heehee! As I thought, it never hurts to have a spare dozen bags of chips wherever you go!" Neptune said as she stuffed her mouth with another large handful of cheese-flavored potato chips, and I sighed while avoiding stepping on the chips that fell on the grass.

"Neptune! Why are you bringing snacks on this quest?" IF scolded in a very motherly fashion, pulling out a dampened paper towel and leaning in closer to Neptune. As their eyes met, Neptune fell quiet.

IF's damp napkin met Neptune's face, and IF began cleaning up the mess of cheese and cracked potato chips all over. Neptune emitted a cute groan as she closed her eyes in unwillingness and tried to escape IF's womanly clutches. The effect was nil, as IF pulled Neptune closer to her body by encircling Neptune's body with her arm.

As I stood there, watching alongside Nepgear and Compa, I couldn't help but wonder.

_Why does that look so...arousing?_

Ignoring the man calling to me from within my pants at the strangely appealing sight, I sighed and walked over to IF.

"Even if she's an immature little child, at least let her wipe herself off. She's older than you, technically speaking." I said, placing my hand on IF's shoulder. She looked at me, impatient.

"If you treat her like she's an adult, then you don't know how it works with Neptune yet." If replied testily before quickly getting back to work cleaning up Neptune's face, and I watched Neptune squirm and wriggle in IF's rough grasp.

"Hey! You tryin' to say I'm old, buddy?! FYI, I'm much younger looking than you!" Neptune said to me as she tried to remove herself from IF's arms, failing miserably.

I couldn't bear it any longer, so I walked over to the two again.

_Sorry, IF. _

I grabbed both of the girls and separated them from each other in one movement, my arms moving them to different sides. IF let out a yell of protest as I yanked her away from the whining CPU, and I snatched the damp napkin out of her hand.

"You're not even doing it properly. Don't cause the girl trouble when you don't even know what you're doing." I lectured, and IF just put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow.

"How on earth was I doing it wrong? Is there even another way to wipe someone's face?" IF responded challengingly, her hands placed on her hips.

"Here, I'll show you." I muttered in defeat, walking over to the purple haired girl and lifting the napkin up. Before IF could protest or reason out anything else, I leaned in and began to gently pat Neptune's cheeks with the damp napkin. "You're supposed to gently clean it without placing lots of pressure onto her skin. Being too hard on the cheeks will spread it around, making an even bigger mess than what you first started out with."

IF just groaned and turned away, shrugging her shoulders and rolling her eyes as she did. I just ignored her and continued cleaning Neptune's face.

_Whoa, her face is smooth. _

No doubt, the CPU of Planeptune had otherworldly skin that was as smooth as newly made glass and as soft as a hotel pillow yet warm to the touch. It was a mesmerizing and entrancing sensation that made me feel...extremely weird.

After all, this sensation was produced by the cheek of a girl shorter than me.

"Mm? Are you done? Wait, are you feeling up my skin?! Are you gonna eat me?! Nooooooo! Nep. Jr, save me!" Within the span of a moment, Neptune had turned from slightly seductive and alluring in my arms to half-laughing and half-screaming in her little sister's arms. It was almost saddening to see, and just ridiculous to me.

Yet I couldn't help but tell myself that it was not unexpected.

"Never mind. Come on guys, let's-" I was about to continue when something caught my eye that I hadn't noticed until now.

We were walking through a massive forest square miles away from Planeptune's main capital, one that was far less populated by the people save for a few. A very dense forest with plenty of trees, similar to how crowded I imagine a forest in Pokemon would be.

And behind one of those wide, dark brown trees decorated with rich green leaves was the top of a small head of mahogany brown hair. It was tied into two small buns that very much resembled standing dog ears, and completed with a baby blue hoodie too big for the wearer that left a small amount of cloth trailing behind the tree.

"I see you, Aoi." I called out to the tree, and the form behind it tensed in shock. The other girls turned around and looked behind them as the little girl slowly walked into view and towards us sheepishly.

"Um...Akai...I know you told me to stay at home..." The little girl just said timidly, hiding her hands behind her back and looking down like she was ashamed of herself.

"Well, I did tell you to stay home for a reason. Mostly because I didn't want you to get hurt, most especially if it somehow ends up becoming my fault. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. However, since you're here, I might as well show you the ropes." I said, kneeling down on one knee and patting her on the top of her head. She looked up at me and smiled cheerfully, and I smiled and sighed.

"Children are a handful, Akai. I know this very well, especially considering Neptune." IF said grinningly, stepping back as Neptune rushed her.

"IF, you meanie! You deserve a thousand needles! But since I don't have needles, I'm gonna poke you in the boobies that you don't have!" Neptune whined as she leapt forward with surprising agility and speed, delivering several solid pokes to IF's chest area.

As the argument slowly began to get out of hand, I sighed and laughed to myself. I took Aoi by the hand and walked past the group of friends, continuing forward.

_Histoire, can you hear me? _I thought this as if I would speak it, the words as loud in my mind as they would be if I spoke it.

_**Yes, loud and clear, Akai. **_Histoire's voice rang out from seemingly everywhere at once, echoing slightly as if it had come from the other side of a long canyon to reach me. It was a hard-to-describe sound, and I only knew to say that it was a mental type of hearing.

_So? What are the quest details again? And remind me what the point of this is. I'm just enjoying the ride. _

_**You are supposed to be eliminating some stray Kupocats that have been causing michief and stealing people's belonging in the nearby town. The residents are senior citizens, so they can't take care of the problem on their own. Since that's the case, you are to either eliminate them or drive them off. Whichever you prefer. But you must remember that we are doing this not only for the people's sake, but because we need to examine what's happening with you. **_

_You say that like I have some sort of condition. _I thought jokingly, laughing both in my thoughts and with my voice.

_**Just watch yourself and don't do anything stupid. Rather...make sure the others don't do anything stupid. IF's got a good head on her shoulders, and Compa's not foolish, but I worry about Neptune. I'm sure you understand. **_

_You sound a lot like a mother, Histoire. _I thought teasingly, and I imagined her puffing her miniature cheeks in protest.

_**Anyway! I want you to get back home safely and quickly. I'm monitoring all of your bodily systems from here, so I'll know if anything bad happens to you in any event. **_

_Thanks, I guess. _

The idea of Histoire skimming and noting everything happening happening to my body was a little unsettling, and it made me slightly uncomfortable. It was a bit strange.

_Histoire?_

_**Yes?**_

_If I get a boner, will you notice?_

_**Akai!**_

* * *

"Are all of the minions in place?" Linda asked as she idly thrummed away with her fingers on the armrest of her chair, staring at a man clothed in ASIC's military uniform.

"Yes, we can begin anytime you wish." The man said, straightening his back and saluting the CFW rigidly with respect and fear dripping from his system.

"Good. Tell them to remain on standby until I give the order to invade." Linda said, dismissing the soldier with a wave of her hand and gestured for him to leave. The soldier gladly obliged, quickening his pace until he left the room.

"Hmm...is everyone afraid of me since the palace looks like some sort of evil, demented fortress? Or do they just not want to die?" Linda thought out loud, standing up from her chair and walking to the door. She exited and turned to the left, faced with a massive grand hallway of dark purple and red.

She walked down the long, velvet red carpet and stopped at the largest door. The door was more than three times her height and made of darkened wood painted with an ominous shade of black, with crimson accents swirling in circles and lines around the surface.

Inside, Pirachu was playing a video game.

"Seriously, you shouldn't be playing with the hacks off. You already beat it how many times." Linda commented as she walked in, removing her grey jacket and tossing it onto the bed nearby.

"I thought I might as well give it a shot. Besides, there's no point to hacking Sonic the Hedgehog, chu~." Pirachu said in reply, his paws clicking away at his specially made controller.

"Well, do what you want. All the soldiers are ready, by the way." Linda said as she walked over to him and sat down next to him, sitting down and leaning backwards on her hands.

"Mm. That's good, chu~ But what about our primary plan, chu~? It's already there and waiting for us." Pirachu said, not stopping to jump over several objects and destroy enemies as he spoke.

"Oh, is it? That's good, then. We need to stir its development, if I'm not mistaken. I trust you already have a plan for that." Linda replied, her tone becoming more serious and focused.

"I already sent one regimen to begin their operation today. We won't be expecting them to come back, of course, chu~" Pirachu said, and victory music from the game played right at that moment.

"That method is a lot more dangerous and risky, you know. I prefer to just smash them, shoot them and bury them myself. Much easier, in my opinion." Linda sounded like she wanted to crush someone's head in, but was just using words to describe what she'd do.

"Well, don't worry. If Operation: Anomaly goes well, then we won't even have to walk in, chu~" Pirachu said in conclusion, standing up and opening the door to the hallway. "I'm gonna go get a midnight snack, chu~"

"I'll come with." Linda said, standing up and following him out the door.

They rounded the corner and walked down the hallway in a line, ignoring the shadows that were standing near their room.

One was a large figure that hid behind the nearby corner, his steely and impatient voice almost too loud for hiding at all.

"Don't you think that they're...I dunno what that word is. Lie...Ly-"

"Liabilities, Judge?" Another figure, much smaller and more feminine that was none other than CFW Magic, that leaned against the wall casually. "I agree. They are not worthy to serve our Lady."

"Then why did you let them come along with us? I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't have done that for no reason." A larger figure with a very deep voice and broad shoulders, CFW Brave, asked as he stood across from her with his arms crossed and his face in an expression of skepticism and scrutiny.

"She just wants to use them. Ever since Linda went and killed that nurse, that stupid little rodent's been harboring a secret grudge ever since. Kyahahaha! It's so entertaining to watch." The last figure, the gruesome CFW Trick, snickered as he licked his lips in anticipation. "I can't wait for that tiny mouse to rip her throat out and feed her to the Fenrir."

"In time, Trick. We will use his resentment for her as a tool to split them apart, and then we use that stupid girl as a temporary vessel for our Lady to return, and then we will take over that other Gamindustri. And after that, we will attack that final Gamindustri and use the other Arfoire over there to become the final sacrifice." CFW Magic replied curtly, a devilish smile on her lips. She pushed herself off of the wall and gestured for the other three to follow her, which they did.

"But first, we have that matter those two were plotting. The anomaly." CFW Brave muttered in a low, discreet voice.

"Yes. That boy is the only potential threat to our Lady. He will have to be manipulated for our purposes, so we'll let that idiotic duo do as they please for now. But, in time, we will eliminate him as well. He will help to serve as our Lady's most delicious opponent, and he will fall in the battle just as the CPUs of this world have against us."

"We still need to find the Oracles and the Candidates, and you know that. They are still a threat to us." CFW Brave responded, looking at her and clenching his fist. "Shall I see to their deaths in the name of justice?"

"Very well. At least you'll handle it better than these other two blockheads." CFW Magic replied, rapping Trick and Judge on their bellies. "What was the boy's name again?"

"Akai...I believe." Brave replied, his finger on his chin as they walked through the long hallway.

"Akai...hm? He will prove a most interesting adversary." CFW Magic said seductively, her voice edged with a hint of sadistic anticipation.

* * *

"By the way, how's Nisa doing?"

I'd neglected to ask Compa how the justice-seeking girl was doing. Ever since she helped IF and I in defeating that Ancient Dragon, she'd been under Compa's care.

"She's doing okay. She told me to apologize to you, actually." Compa said, and I raised my eyebrow.

"Apologize? For what? If anything, I'm the one who has to apologize. What's she talking about?" I peppered Compa with those questions, and she just stared up at the sky and groaned like she was trying to remember.

"Hmm...if I remember, she said that she caused a tremor in the Guild Building while she was conducting recruit training, and that IF slapped you after it had happened...or something like that." Compa said uncertainly, though I knew what she was talking about.

_So she did that, huh? Go figure. _

"How does she remember that? She wasn't even there to see IF slap me." I remarked, glancing at the girl in question walking a little ways next to me. She just huffed and turned away.

"I told her."

Like that was an appropriate explanation. Curt, short and precise.

And somewhat rude.

"Well, not like I was expecting you to be very lady-like." I sighed, slumping my shoulders in mock disappointment. I smiled and began laughing when IF began attempting to poke me with her fingers in irritation.

"You sure like to play with fire, don't you?" Nepgear just said on the side, her tried smile adding more comedic effect to the entire situation so far.

"Well, it's more fun this way, I guess." I responded laughingly, dodging IF as she was now trying to smack me with the flat sides of her Qatars.

_**Focus, Akai. You need to get rid of those Kupocats and come back. **_Histoire's voice rang incessantly through my mind.

_Don't worry about it. We're already a few minutes away from the town. We shouldn't have-_

"Akai, is that smoke?" IF's voice cut clear through my mind, completely serious unlike a few moments ago. I looked to where her eyes were focused on, and my heart suddenly spiked into overdrive.

_What is this feeling? _

I felt like something within me was beginning to burn up and well into my head, and into my arms. My heartbeat was accelerating to a incredibly fast speed, thumping like a boxing glove in my chest. My eyesight suddenly got a whole lot sharper, and the details in everything within my line of sight were suddenly enhanced to a scary degree like jumping from 360p to 1080p resolutions.

_**Akai, what's going on?! You're systems are going up like anything!**_

My mind casted Histoire's voice aside like a piece of unimportant trash and looked to the rest of the girls, who were now staring at me.

"Akai, are you okay? You don't-"

I cut off Compa with a hand to her lips. "You guys follow behind me, and protect Aoi."

_Is this my voice? _My voice sounded husky, deeper and much more masculine than I remember it. Compa just looked at me with eyes of surprise, shock and some sort of wonder and just nodded without saying a word. I spun on my heels and began sprinting.

The world suddenly turned into a blur of colors as I ran in the direction of the smoke, the trees being brown and green blurs in my field of vision. I felt my legs pumping under my body and thrusting me at a speed I'd never experienced before. My small aches and tiredness that were accompanying me on the way here disappeared entirely, replaced with enough energy for me to back flip at the same speed I was running.

Time passed, and the trees suddenly turned into the blur of buildings passing by. I skid to a stop and I stare at the scene before me.

Homes of concrete and stone all around were burning, letting out copious amount of smoke and blinding levels of heat. I could feel the heat from almost 50 feet away. The ground was cracked and leveled, the street cement dug up and full of holes all around. The sound of people screaming and shouting was filling the air around me, and my oversensitive senses were hearing those screams on max volume.

Far away in front of me, I could see one man dressed in a gray military uniform I didn't recognize. He was dragging a man by the back of his shirt and holding an assault rifle in his hand, screaming for the man to get on his knees. A few feet away, men were lined up on their knees with eyes that looked utterly defeated and scared out of their minds. More soldiers holding rifles were standing near them, looking menacing and ready to kill.

The smoke was billowing thickly in the air, and it was drawing black cotton candy clouds in the sky. The scent of burning wood was powerful, and I felt sick to the gut.

_I have to stop them._

That was the only thought in my mind as I began running forward.

_**Akai! Don't do anything stupid!**_

But I was no longer listening to Histoire.

I ran forward, and I skidded to a crouching stop directly in front of the armed soldier. As he looked at me with an expression of surprise, I heard the other men off to the side load their guns.

"Borrow you for a bit." I said to the soldier before I removed his hand from the civilian in his grasp and turned him around, his body in between me and the platoon of soldiers aiming their rifles at me.

"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" The soldier screamed at me with his gritty voice as he pulled out a slick military knife from his side and attempted to stab me in the stomach.

I took a step to the side and grabbed his incoming wrist, and I quickly stole the dagger from his hand and pressed it against his back to trap him in a hold. I threw the dagger to the ground and twisted the soldier's wrist against his back, and I felt a bone crack. He groaned in pain, and I grabbed him by the back of his nck and pressed my fingers hard. He yelled and grabbed my arm with his free hand, but I knew what to do.

I let my form slip out entirely from behind the soldier, making myself vulnerable to the firing squad for a crucial moment.

And in a single instant-

*** RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA ***

The men fired at me in complete full auto, and I dragged my captive in front of me to take the bullets. Within a single instant, the man in my hands was struck with more than twelve dozen bullets.

_The idiots didn't even stop before unloading their entire magazine's worth of bullets. _

I looked at the man in my grip, and I felt my nausea slowly begin to rise. I knew bile would spill out if I let it, so I averted my eyes to the dull grey concrete of the street.

To make the description brief, he was a sponge. That was oozing blood out of every hole possible.

"Scumbags. Didn't even think about saving your friend, huh?" I muttered hatefully under my breath, my brain beginning to become unable to think straight as I picked up the now dead soldier's assault rifle and switched it to burst fire mode.

Time suddenly felt like it slowed down as I aimed the rifle at the men who were reloading their guns. Suddenly, as I pulled the trigger, I felt my heart stop.

_The safety's still on?!_

I quickly undid the safety switch, but it was already enough time for them to reload. I was now about to get riddled with bullets in what seemed like _bullet-time_ level slow motion.

My body acted on its own.

The instant I heard the guns go off, my vision doubled in precision as my eyes zoomed in on the incoming bullets. They spun through the air as they came at me like steel wasps. I pressed the trigger and swept the gun through the air, firing bullets aimed purely by reflex.

_I'm so dead. _

Suddenly, one bullet struck the side of one of the bullets coming at me, and they both deflected away from each other. The bullets then struck bullets next to them and created a chain reaction that was left with me standing unharmed while the steel bullets were flying off in every other direction apart from mine and the civillians.

The men just stared at me in awe and fear, and I quickly realized that they had spent their final magazine on me. They were beginning to run at me, drawing their knives.

_Perfect. _

I quickly rolled to the side, picking up the dead soldier's knife as I did, and took a stance. I held the military combat knife like a dagger in my right hand, the blade pointing downwards and away from my body.

The first two soldiers rushed at me, both holding their daggers upright in an attempt to run me through with them. I kicked off of the ground and slid, knocking one off of his feet. As he hit the ground with a grunt of pain, I quickly turned on one knee and stabbed the other man's ankle before he could turn around completely. He cried out and dropped his own knife, which I snatched out of the air and cut his throat with. Instantly, blood painted the steel dagger in my hand as he choked on it. He croaked and gagged before falling onto his back, dead. I grimaced and pulled out the other dagger, kicking the other other soldier next to me and rendering him unconscious.

Four more men came at me, and they attempted to surround me. One stepped forward, his expression hesitant as he attempted to slash my chest. I stepped back and, before he could more any more, lifted my leg and caught his arm with it. I smashed my leg, and his arm, onto the ground and threw a knife into his face, killing him instantly. The second man, definitely more afraid now, tried to rush at me in a reckless attempt to pierce my stomach. I quickly made short work of him by side-stepping him and strafing his rush before piercing his side with my own knife. He quickly screamed and fell over, clutching at his side in pain. I took his other knife and leaped back as the other two men tried to close in on me. The third assailant, much more careful than the others, was holding a hatchet instead and was using its reach to his advantage.

"Bastard!" With a yell, the fourth guy unexpectedly ran at me with his knife and tried to slash my neck. I ducked, and ran my dagger straight into his heart, killing him. I picked his now limp body up and threw it at the remaining man, who caught it by reflex and dropped his hatchet.

I swept his legs out from under him with a sweeping kick, picked up the hatchet and nailed him right in between the eyes with it.

_Idiot. Dropping the hatchet like that. _

I sighed and turned to the soldier who was bleeding slowly to death on the floor as he was desperately clawing at something in his pocket. I said nothing as he slowly drew out a black communications device, but I walked over to him once he had it in his hand and swiped it out of his grasp. As he looked up in fear, I stamped onto a nearby military knife, making it flip upwards, and plucked it out of the air before ending his life with it.

"Okay. Are you guys safe?" I said, turning to the civilians who were tied up and lined up like death row inmates. They just looked at me with mixed expressions, most of gratitude. As I walked over and undid their bonds, they thanked me breathlessly.

"There were a lot more men in the plaza, and they were holding public executions. We managed to fight back enough to let the women and the children flee, but our friends are probably already dead back there." One of the freed men said, his tone sorrowful as he looked longingly in what seemed to be the direction of the plaza.

"Bastards...I'll go and make sure they can't do that."

* * *

Histoire felt her tiny hands shaking as she held the book that she usually floated on in her hands.

She'd been searching and searching the archives of history from her previous incarnations as Histoire throughout all of Gamindustri's past and present. It's been taking her extremely long to skim through all of the records. And what she'd found caused her nerves to fly out of her body, through her head, and make her sweat run cold.

It was a small piece of parchment from millenia ago, brittle to the touch and thin like air. She felt like her fingers trembling in nervousness and anticipation would cause it to rip and break.

On it, there were words written in verse form.

_**Collision of powers and an illusion of the reaper**_

_**An unseen visitor will travel to hither**_

_**Divinity fallen, buried and gone**_

_**Will revive in glory, at the hand of a god**_

_**The first and the last, an architect of nothing**_

_**shall begin an era of peace and prosperity**_

_**Through the heart and the mind, through love come full circle**_

_**United through one, and diveded by none**_

_Really? _She thought to herself. _A cliché prophecy? I'd thought that we were more creative than this in Gamindustri. Oh well, the clichés have to come from somewhere. _

But it unsettled her.

_I know it's talking about Akai. _

_I just know it is._

* * *

"Doctor! The man has multiple wounds on various parts of his body. He also appears to have a broken wrist and a twisted shoulder. Shall I declare him Dead on Arrival, or do we perform CPR?"

Neptune, wearing a nurse uniform she'd pulled from seemingly out of nowhere, was standing over the dead body of a man who'd been riddled with gunshots and been lying in a pool of his own blood.

IF slapped her on the top of her head.

"What the hell are you doing?! It's too morbid to joke about." IF scolded, and Neptune just rubbed the top of her head and whined.

"No need to hit me over it."

"Yes, there is. You don't learn otherwise." IF shot back, adjusting her coat sleeves and looking in the direction of the smoke that was rising in the sky. "They said he ran off in that direction. We'll be looking for a fight, won't we?"

"Yeah, seems like it." Nepgear said, pulling our her Beam Sabre and activating it. With a futuristic electronic sound, the meter long purple blade of life blazed to life.

IF just sighed and whipped her arms downwards, extending her Qatar blades. She craned her neck and rotated it, and her neck bones cracked in response.

"Whoa. IF, you seem so masculine it's almost cool!" Compa said in awe, her expression completely contrasted by the sight of her needle in hand.

"Be quiet, Compa! I'd rather look feminine, I'll have you know." IF replied, waving her Qatar at Compa and looking flustered.

"Let's follow him. If you look carefully, you can see some footprints of...I think that's blood." Neptune remarked as she pulled out her _katana_, staring at the ground. As the other girls looked at the pavement, they saw it too.

Footprints of red trailed across the floor, and were so far apart that it looked like inhumanely wide strides were taken just to leave them.

"Is it me...or did those footprints leave behind impressions?" Nepgear said, and they all looked more closely.

She was right.

The footprints had left deep impressions in the concrete.

_Akai, what the hell were you doing? _

IF thoughts trailed off as they began following the trail.

_You'd better not have gotten yourself killed, you idiot. _

* * *

_Hi, guys! LPH, here. I just gotta tell you guys that updates are going slowly since my exams are coming up. Couple with the fact that I've gone to Europe for three weeks' worth of my school year, and you've got yourself a tight schedule. I kinda want to do pretty well on my grades, so things might not update pretty quickly until that all ends. _

_I've been hearing all of the complaints about the P.O.V switch style, and I just want to say that that's my style. That's how I do things and that's how I chose to present it. If you find it difficult, then whatevs. I don't intend to please anyone, though feedback of both positive and negative lights are appreciated and helpful. So I encourage you to hit me with whatever praise and hate you've got. I need it to get better as a writer, anyway. _

_On that note, I want to inform you guys that thanks to my Collaboration with zedzy555 as his editor on his fanfiction, I will be attempting to switch to a third person style of writing. Tell me if there's something I'm doing wrong. _

_And since I mentioned it, everyone who reads this please help me out here. _

_For the next week, the fanfiction I'm collaborating with zedzy555 on is holding a voting period for what the readers want to happen next. We want as many answers as possible to make the story even more interesting and funny, so I encourage everyone who took the time to read this footnote look for **zedzy555** on this website, read until chapter 9, and vote. I'd really appreciate it if you guys do! Thanks, and I hope to be in your care from here on out! _


	10. Chapter 9: Fated Meeting

**Chapter 9: Fated Meeting**

_Well, looks like this quest isn't going the way it was planned. _

Akai thought as he ducked under the arm of an offending soldier and snatched his pistol out of his hip holster. He leaped backwards and fired two rounds, each one going in a different eye socket. As the now dead man fell backwards, two more men ran at Akai with their knives drawn.

Akai immediately dashed forward and, flipping the gun's handle so that he held the barrel in his palm, and struck the first man on the temple with the butt. As the soldier stumbled backwards, blinking in a daze, Akai switched his attention to the other man. The second soldier closed in and tried to stab Akai in the chest. Akai grabbed the man's wrist as he performed the stabbing motion, and then shot him right in the grown man's left breast. The man collapsed, dead.

Akai quickly pointed the barrel at the stunned soldier and nailed him in between the eyes.

_Histoire? What's going on here?  
_

_**Nothing I can tell so far, Akai. **_Histoire's voice rang in Akai's head, reverberating as if it were an echo in a long hallway. **_All I know is that they're not about to make nice. Minimize the casualties, Akai. You can just accept another quest another time. _**

_That's what I'm trying to do right now, you know. _Akai said to her as he looked around me.

The battlefield was littered with the bloody bodies of soldiers he had killed. Some full of gunshots and some with their throats slit open with blood pouring out profusely. Akai could hear the dying groans of a man near his foot, and he moved away as he watched the man choking on his own blood.

"It's a mess here..." I muttered to myself disgustedly, and I began walking over and around the bodies whilst trying to avoid the steadily enlargening pools of blood littered around him. As he walked away from it, he began to feel a sense of foreboding while walking through the village.

The houses around him were billowing out thick, dark grey smoke through the windows and the doors. There were bits of burned and blown-up wood scattered throughout the street, and there was also smoking debris blockading parts of the street.

_Did a war blow past here? Histoire, any idea what happened? _

_**I can't really tell. I'm getting information as we speak. Let's see...these soldiers had arrived just today and had begun to terrorize the citizens for what seems like no reason. We know...absolutely nothing else. **_Histoire recited as if she were reading from a report, and Akai just smiled to myself when he imagined her reading from a stack of documents half as tall as she was. _**Hey, Akai. I can also see images in your mind. **_

_Sorry, couldn't help it. Too irresistible to pass up. _

Akai heard her groan exasperatedly over the mental connection, and couldn't help but smile wryly to himself in spite of the sitatuation at hand.

Suddenly, behind one of the destroyed, burning houses vaulted a soldier garbed in a different set of clothes. Unlike the standard green and brown camouflage Akai had been bloodying, this one was wearing what seemed to be a grey suit topped with a captain's hat. Everything was grey and black, save for his cuffs and parts of his coat which remained a striking crimson in the background of his other colors.

Akai clicked his tongue in irritation and dove to the side as the newfound attacker whipped out two pistols and aimed them at him. Gunshots sailed past the wall Akai had taken cover behind, and he just reached towards his pockets and pulled out the pistol he'd stolen earlier from one of the guards.

Akai quickly dashed back out into the open and pointed his pistol at the other soldier, whose eyes widened in surprise for a crucial moment. Akai quickly pulled the trigger and fired, and the shot nailed him in the chest. The young soldier's grey uniform darkened with scarlet, and he fell backwards to the ground. The guns clattered out of his grasp as he did, and they fell out of his reach.

_Perfect!_

Akai dashed forward, picking up one of the guns that the fallen enemy had just been using, and pointed it right in front of the middle-aged soldier's nose.

"What are you doing here? Why are you trying to kill me?" Akai pressed, trying to pierce his gaze into the man's.

The man didn't budge, but just stared at Akai with a mix of stubbornness, determination and fear. He remained silent.

_Histoire?  
_

_**Don't turn to me. **_Histoire responded, and Akai could hear what sounded like stress in her voice. **_I'd rather not have him killed, but it seems he has some motive to kill everyone. Dispose of him how you see fit, Akai. I'm still trying to figure things out over here on my end. Personally, I'd prefer if you refrain from needless killing. But I leave the choice to you. _**

Akai tossed the gun in his left hand upwards, flipped it before tucking it into his coat pocket, and then grabbed the man by the collar and lifting him up. Akai stared into the man's eyes from an even closer distance, and he could see the soldier's eyes beginning to waver.

"Look. I don't want to kill you. If you tell me your goal, I might even leave you unconscious." Akai offered, but the man just glowered. He snickered, turned the other way, spat a load of saliva, and then leered at Akai eye to eye.

"You're gonna have to do more than that to make me talk, boy." He spat, his raspy voice full of contempt and pride.

Akai just sighed and pulled him up, lifting him by the arm and suspending him completely in midair. The man looked completely stunned and surprised, but Akai continued to pressure him. Putting the other pistol in his other coat pocket, Akai grabbed the man's leg and began spinning him in place repeatedly. After a single, full minute spinning, Akai intentionally let go and watched the man hit the ground. He grabbed him by his slightly grey hair and lifted his face up. Akai just grinned in satisfaction as he saw the man's eyes rolling and moving about dizzily.

"So? Ready to spill? Not your puke, though. If you're planning on that, then I'm gonna move away." Akai joked, and the man just cursed silently as he tried to keep the world from spinning too much.

"Don't go and mock me, brat." He said, and then he gulped and looked downwards. Akai just sighed and patted him on the back.

"It's okay, let it out. No one's gonna laugh. Just let it out. Don't be embarrassed. Everyone barfs." Akai chided mockingly with a grin, and the man just cursed and pushed his hand away. He then proceeded to let out the contents of his lunch on the ground, and Akai backed away a bit.

"Yeesh. I know what I said, but restrain yourself a bit. At least try." Akai muttered, regretting his decision as he watched the man empty his vomit onto the ground. He felt a sense of disgust and nausea begin to well up within him, and he fought it back down.

He did not want to vomit.

Suddenly, he felt all of his senses warn him simultaneously. For a moment, time seemed to stop completely. Suddenly, the smell of the battlefield became richer and more vivid. He could practically taste the blood on his tongue, so powerful the scent was. His eyes suddenly registered everything in an instant, as if the world had stopped moving entirely.

Not even Histoire's voice could begin to speak to him mentally when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand and shiver, sending freezing waves down his back. His body screamed at him to lean backwards, and he tried his best to. As his body moved downwards, he felt a very sharp and light pain graze his cheek.

A micro-instant later, he felt a ringing in his right ear as the world exploded around him.

* * *

"What the hell is he doing?" IF muttered, sprinting at a frantic pace following the trail of bloody footsteps.

"Wait up, IF! You're too fast! You're like Usain Bolt!" Neptune wheezed, lagging several meters behind IF alongside the rest of the group save for Nisa who was easily holding her own next to IF.

"I don't like the sound of that explosion." Nisa muttered, and IF nodded silently.

They turned the corner, leaving Neptune and the others panting heavily behind them.

"I'll just...avoid this...by transforming..." Neptune let out between tired breaths before snapping her fingers.

Instantly, a column of light consumed the Planeptune CPU and replaced the small girl dressed in her casual clothes with a floating, much older and mature looking girl in her full HDD outfit.

Nepgear quickly followed suit, transforming as well.

"Hey, no fair! I can't do that!" Compa whined, her hands on her knees as she bent forward while trying to catch her breath.

Neptune, now in her form known as Purple Heart, turned to the nurse and gestured to the nearby wall. "Compa, you stay-"

Suddenly, the sound of energy crackling and the unsheathing of steel hit Neptune's ears. She stopped talking and, facing the turn, flew around the bend and immediately stopped.

IF and Nisa had their weapons drawn, IF her Qatars and Nisa her Prinny Gun, and were taking a combat stance across a mysterious figure clad in a dark red hooded robe. In one hand, he was holding what looked like a powerful, futuristic rifle.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?! Don't get in our way!" IF announced daringly, brandishing her weapons intimidatingly.

The man, however, just laughed. "Don't even try it. One shot, and you'll end up like your friend."

Those words caught their attention.

"Friend?" Neptune returned, and the man just snickered evilly.

"Yeah, that accursed teenage boy that was running around killing all of the soldiers assigned to protect me. My goodness, he was certainly a handful."

IF clenched her fists tightly and sprinted towards the man. "Lies!"

The man leaped backwards, evading IF's first slash, and then spun the gun in his hands and blocked the second slash with the butt of the rifle. IF clicked her tongue in irritation and thrust her weapon forward, but the man sidestepped it and landed a solid strike with the butt of the rifle to IF's stomach.

"You are too weak, girl! Naive! A thousand years before you can defeat-" Just before he could say anymore, IF grinned in pain and crouched.

"Kick of Justice!" With a loud cry, Nisa's signature move rocketed straight over IF's head and nailed the man right in the chest and sent him flying backwards. He flew back, his body skidding to a stop a good distance away. As he began to get up, Neptune and Nepgear quickly soared in.

"There's no way Akai would die that easily!" Nepgear cried out, and she fired a few beams from her Beam Launcher. They struck the man in quick succession, and then Nepgear closed in and slammed his chin with an upwards somersault kick that sent him into the air.

Above, Neptune quickly flew at sound-breaking speed and landed blow after punishing blow with her katana before sending him back into the ground with a massive explosion of Divine Energy. The two floated back to ground level, admiring the concrete that had been tossed around and dug up.

"Well, I guess that takes care of tha-"

Suddenly, for a split second, a high-pitched whine hit their ears. They never got the chance to cover them, though, since a massive explosion sent the two flying straight through a concrete building.

As the two passed through, knocking down every supporting column of asphalt and concrete, the building began to lean forward and collapse.

"Neptune! Nepgear!" IF called out, having barely managed to escape the powerful shot.

"That's probably the weapon that they used on Akai. If it can do that kind of damage...then maybe he really is..." Nisa trailed off, and IF just bit her lip in frustration.

"He can't die yet! That idiot!" IF said, grasping her Qatars. Nisa looked down, and she saw that her fingers were turning red.

The man walked out of the debris of turned up cement, his hood drawn back and torn. As IF stood up to face him, she got a good look at his face.

He was teenage, similar to IF in body age. His eyes were brown, the kind of brown you'd usually associate with dead leaves. His hair was stylishly spiky, and was a dull grey color. In his hands was the rifle, whirring and humming away like some sort of futuristic gadget set to kill instead of stun.

"You two will be next." He said before aiming the gun at the two of them.

He pulled the trigger with no delay.

* * *

_...huh?_

_What...was I just...?_

Akai slowly opened his eyes, and they were greeted by nothing but the color white.

"Wh...what the hell?" He muttered to himself, and he slowly stood up and looked around. He couldn't see the floor, as it was always white. Everything was white. It was disorienting, with no visible walls and floor. Nothing but white.

_Where the hell am I?_

Akai took a step forward, and the sound echoed repeatedly everywhere around him until it faded away. He took another hesitant, lighter step. The sound was still there, albeit a little softer now.

"You're an interesting one."

A feminine voice echoed from all around, and Akai twisted to look behind him.

Nothing but white.

"It's why I chose you."

"Who are you?!" Akai screamed out, his voice ringing loudly across the expanse of blank space and fading into the void. "Where are you?! Show yourself!"

"You are my chosen one. But with all your strength...you are not ready..." The voice began to grow faint, and Akai began frantically casting his gaze about, looking for something.

Anything.

"What are you talking about?!" Akai yelled out in confusion and bewilderment, but the voice seemed to ignore him as it faded into nothingness.

"What the hell?" He muttered as he sat back down, scratching the back of his head.

_Where am I, anyway? Whose voice was that? No, wait. First priority is-_

Suddenly, he felt his shoulder being tapped.

He turned around, only to come face to face with someone he didn't know.

It was a woman. Her hair was extremely long, trailing onto the floor behind her like a carpet, and it was gray like dulled steel. It shone so brightly it was as if nonexistent light were bathing it in a spotlight. She wore an extremely long dress that left a trail like her hair, only it shone with every color he could imagine within an instant. The effect was hypnotic, and Akai did his best not to become too mesmerized in the effect.

The woman's skin was fair and smooth, and she leaned down and touched Akai's cheek.

"You are my chosen one." She said, a smile on her face.

But it was not a happy smile.

It was a solemn, almost mourning one.

"The chosen do not live easily, Akai. You will face strife, pain, loss and even death. As I have spoken long ago, and as my scribe had once written and passed within the annals of history." She said, her voice tinged with sadness.

Akai stood up, and he felt his hands and legs shaking in place. "What do you-"

"The collision of powers...and an illusion of the reaper..." She leaned in and whispered these words in Akai's ears. They sent waves of chills rolling down his back, but he remained frozen in place. "This will come to pass as I have once spoken it..."

"What are you talking about?" Akai asked, wetting his lips and swallowing his saliva before asking.

"An unseen visitor will travel to hither...This has been fulfilled as we speak." She said again, and Akai surrendered to listening silently.

"Divinity fallen, buried and gone...The ultimate tragedy...and yet the ultimate farce..." The lady spoke, and she took a step back from Akai. He just stared at her, and looked at her face. But her eyes were hidden by her gray bangs, and she could not make out that face.

"Will revive in glory...at the hand of a god...Gamindustri will feel the shock and force of nature's upheaval..." She muttered, and she began to walk in a circle around the paralyzed boy. Only then did Akai realize he literally could not move his limbs as he wanted. He could breath, blink and speak, but most else was barred from him.

"The first and the last...an architect of nothing...it is far easier to destroy than to create...even you know this..." The lady muttered, and Akai just kept looking at her quietly.

"Shall begin an era of peace...and prosperity...the Golden Age of Gamindutri will cause ripples in the fabric of the world..." Akai's eyes widened as he looked at her.

The way she walked, the way she talked, her face...even without the eyes.

He tried to speak. "Is it possible?! Are you-"

"Through the heart and the mind...through love come full circle...the heart wants what the heart expects. Humans know this more than anyone. The CPUs cannot begin to understand love. Not as they are now..." Those words were now dyed with what sounded like regret, resentment, anger and grief rolled into a single package.

"United by one..." She took a final step, now in front of Akai again, and faced him. Her smile had returned, though now it was mixed with emotion. So many that Akai couldn't begin to describe the feeling it was giving him. "And divided by none...you are my chosen. You are the one who will make this happen." In my name, in the name of Gamindustri...and in yours."

"My name?" Akai responded questioningly.

"You will understand soon. I fear that understanding will be reached all too soon. After all, you can already guess who I am...and who I once was." She said, her voice becoming sadder.

He could see her eyes now, as she brushed her bangs back to look at him eye to eye.

Blood red eyes like a cat's.

Gaudy eyeliner that stood out from her otherwise divine and ethereal appearance.

No doubt...that was the face of Arfoire.

"Who...are you?" Akai asked, and suddenly he fell to the ground on his bottom. He looked down at his body, surprised to see his arms and legs were moving by their own volition once again.

"I have forsaken my old name in place of a new one...you will discover it soon enough." She replied curtly, offering the boy a hand. He took it, expecting her to pull him up.

As their hands met, he suddenly felt a fire blaze within his chest. He felt pain flare everywhere in his body, and his vision slowly turned red and hazy. He fell backwards onto the floor, and he gazed at the mysterious entity wearing Arfoire's face pleadingly.

The pain grew and grew, and Akai's eyes began to droop like he was on the verge of death.

Despite the pain in his chest, he tried to cry out.

"H-help me out a bit..." He croaked weakly, and the girl smiled and crouched down.

"You cannot handle the power as you are now, either. As such, I will tell you what you need."

_I feel like I'm going to die, and she's going to go on about a **hint**? _Akai thought, a degree of morbid amazement filling him up.

"Your power is a power that grows as you do. Yours is one linked with your heart, and the hearts linked to yours. You can do anything, so long as you and those close to you are bonded as closely as possible." She said, caressing his cheek like a child's. The pain immediately washed away as if it were never there.

"...you know, this is really weird when you have that face. It's associated with so much bad things in Gamindustri, save for the Ultradimension. At least you have an eggplant farm over there." Akai suddenly said, and the woman just looked at him with an expression of surprise as he stood back up.

Silence.

The woman suddenly burst into laughter, and she held her hand over her mouth as she tried to rein it in. Akai just looked at her strangely, and she recovered after a few seconds.

She cleared her throat, and then looked at him with a happier smile.

"I've forgotten how amusing you can be. Would you prefer this, then?"

She waved her hand, and her face changed. When Akai blinked, her face had been replaced with what looked a lot like Neptune's face when she activates HDD.

"Or...this?" She asked again, her voice taking on a playful tone as she waved her hand in front of her face again. This time, when Akai blinked again, her face had become too much like Noire's.

"You really have a way with...faces." Akai replied, unsure of what to say. The woman just laughed and waved her hand again. This time, her face had turned into one he didn't recognize. "I didn't quite get your hint, though."

The woman just smiled teasingly, as if she knew something that Akai didn't. Which she clearly did. "There's no helping you. Fine, I'll give you another hint."

She walked closer to Akai, and stopped when her face was almost touching his. "True power is held deep within a person. When people need it, they can draw on power they didn't think they had. Sometimes, it's their feelings holding them back. Other times, it's something else. Such as your case."

Akai tilted his head, unsure of what she meant. "What do you mean, my ca-"

"Why do you think those girls' little sisters were never able to achieve their true potential unless they came to terms with their feelings? True power is from within. No one is an exception. Not the Console Patron Units, not the Candidates, and certainly not even I. You also have something holding you back, don't you?"

Akai opened his mouth to speak, but she just held up a finger in front of his open lips. "Not until I'm done, Akai." She said, and she withdrew her finger and took a step back. "All power, especially those girls', is linked to their hearts. Nepgear, the best example, was unable to transform because she longed to always be protected by her big sister. But when the time came and she knew that it was her turn to save Neptune, she did it. See, Akai? Your powers are linked to your heart as well, Akai. However, it is also linked to those closest to you."

"Um...okay...?" Akai said, still a little unsure of what she meant. He kind of understood, but also didn't. The angelic-looking lady just sighed and smiled again, and she patted Akai on the chest.

"Well, you'll understand at some point. I have faith you will." She said, and then she raised her hand to the sky. As soon as her arm became still, the white around the pair suddenly began to melt and disappear. It was replaced by a deep blue dotted with twinkling white and yellow lights.

"Whoa!" Akai exclaimed, looking down to realize that he was standing on what looked like nothing. He felt his heart leap out his chest for a moment, and he took an instinctive step back. He felt the surface of the floor underneath, even it didn't look like anything was supporting him. "What the hell did you-"

The woman just smiled knowingly and drew closer to Akai once more. "This should be more than enough to tell you who, and what, I am. Well, I've already told and shown you too much, haven't I? If Histy still remembered me, she'd be furious."

Those words caught Akai's attention, and he opened his mouth to say something. "Wait, you know His-"

He was stopped by the woman pecking his lips with hers.

"That's your reward and your final hint. Hopefully, putting all those hints together will finally get through to your head, foolish man." She teased, but Akai wasn't really registering it. He was still recovering.

"Wh...you..." He stuttered, and the woman laughed loudly.

"You're so cute! If only I could have you all to myself for a little while longer. But I fear that the girls would hate for me to do that." She said, and she gestured to the left. Akai silently followed her arm with his eyes, and he felt his eyes widen.

In the air floated what looked like a display, and in it was a shocking sight.

On one half of display were Neptune and Nepgear battered and bruised, and their hair was coated in dust and debris. Their outfits were torn in various places, and the patches of skin showing as a result were scraped and bruised heavily. On the other side of the screen, IF and Nisa were trading blows with someone Akai had never seen before.

"What the hell is going on over there?!" Akai shouted, and he rushed forward to the display. He reached out as if to touch it and go inside, but his hand just passed through helplessly.

The woman walked next to the display and stared at Akai, her gaze firm and steady. "Calm yourself, they are still alive. Not for long, though, unless someone comes to help them. But only you can answer the question: who will help them?"

The two locked eyes, and Akai felt an emotion welling up within him similar to the burning pain.

Only now, it didn't hurt.

His fists began to clench, and he felt his eyebrows furrow together. "Send me back."

"As you wish." She said, and she tapped him on the forehead.

The next moment, he saw the world around him go black.


	11. Chapter 10: Signs

**Chapter 10: Signs**

"Hahaha! If only your beloved citizens could see you now, _Lady _Purple Heart!"

The man laughed and jeered as he stood above the Planeptune CPU, mocking her as he prodded her head with the gun in his hands. Neptune was already devoid of most of her strength, and just glared at him from the dirt as he continued to mock her. A little ways off, Nepgear was unconscious and had been forced to transform back into her human form.

And farther back, IF and Nisa hid behind a wall to evade the man's dangerous weapon.

After firing the rifle, IF and Nisa had barely managed to get out of the way of a direct strike. That had saved them the price of being blown up, but it instead allowed for a massive explosion that sent the two flying out of the man's line of sight.

At least they had managed to make it away and hide.

But when Nepgear and Neptune had stormed in, a direct hit from the gun was all it took to send the two down to ground.

"Damn it." IF cursed silently, smashing her bruised fist into the pavement in frustration. "Can't we find a way to get to him somehow?"

"I doubt it." Nisa responded, trying her best not to vent as well. "He's got good reflexes. Even if we were able to evade both the shot and the explosion, he could still hold Neptune or Nepgear hostage. While a shot too close would kill himself, I don't want to think about how effective that gun would be on a CPU from point blank range."

"...if it's already like this, then Akai really won't be helping us out, huh?" IF muttered, and Nisa just averted her eyes.

"...don't mention that now." Nisa responded sadly, gripping her Prinny Gun tightly.

"Well, what do we do now? Go down in a blaze of glory?" IF said, laughing bitterly as she looked back to Nisa.

Nisa just looked back at her, and they both shared their resolve through a bumped fist. "Well, what else can we do?"

IF quickly leaned back and snuck another glance behind the wall she was hiding behind.

It was a revolting sight.

"C'mon, mighty CPU! Beat me up and save your citizens! Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?!" The man hissed in delight as he grabbed the purple haired braids of the goddess and lifted her into the air. From IF's perspective, Neptune's face was already twisted into a horrifying expression of pain and struggle.

She clearly hadn't given up.

But she didn't know what to do.

"Alright...Nisa, I'll set you up for another Justice Kick snipe. I'll run out and distract him, and you head up the debris over there." IF muttered, pointing at a tall mountain of destroyed rubble that was once a building. "You can get a good shot from there, right?"

"Sure thing, captain!" Nisa said and, without waiting for another word, sped away towards the mountain.

_Alright...let's get this done with... _IF thought restlessly, sheathing her Qatars into her ripped sleeves and pulling out twin pistols. She peered over the edge of the wall, and saw that the man seemed to have lost interest in tormenting the pair of sisters. He had dropped Neptune onto the floor, and was facing the other way.

_Now!_

* * *

…

_...hnngh..._

_...I think...I hear..._

_...is that...a voice...?_

As Akai opened his eyes slowly, he found himself facing the sky that was seemed startlingly, almost painfully, blue.

"Akai!" He heard a really high-pitched voice calling his name, and it was filled with panic and hysteria. He immediately sat up and looked around. As he felt a tug on his shoulder sleeve, he found himself staring at Aoi and Compa.

"Are you alright?! You look terrible!" Compa squealed, and he could see tears in the girl's eyes. He looked down at Aoi, and her eyes were already red from crying.

"Calm down, calm down. It's not like I-" As Akai moved his hand to pat Aoi's head, he immediately felt a burning stripe of pain race down his flank. "Agh!"

"Akai!" Aoi cried out in fear as Akai groaned in pain and grabbed onto his side as if to grab the pain in his hand and tear it away.

"Guh...well, looks like this would hurt more than I expect. Wasn't this supposed to be an easy quest? What the hell happened?" Akai laughed bitterly, groaning again in pain as the pain intensified.

"Akai, don't do anything rash! There was a massive explosion, and I think you got caught in it." Compa urged him to remain still by patting his hands as she began pulling out medical equipment. "Let's see...here, drink some of this."

"Ugh...where are Neptune and the others?" Akai asked, the memory of his vision still fresh in his mind.

"That's...they went off on their own. I think they're also caught in some trouble." Compa said, handing Akai a bottle.

As Akai took the bottle, he looked at the design and laughed softly when he saw the words **Nep Bull EX **clearly printed out on it. Still chuckling, he unscrewed the top of the bottle and started to drink the contents.

Immediately, his pain subsided as the potion hit his gut. He felt energy suddenly start flowing through his body as if a valve in his system had been turned. His eyes widened as if he drank an entire pot of coffee.

"Wow, that's some strong stuff. I'm not surprised, though, with how this stuff works in the game." Compa just peered at him as if she had no idea what she was talking about, and Akai just laughed as he guzzled half of the bottle. He grinned as he gripped the bottle in his hand harder, and he felt the satisfaction course through him as he began to crush it in between his fingers.

"Akai...I don't feel good..." Those words brought Akai's senses on full alert, and he quickly turned and looked closely at Aoi, who had placed her hands on her chest.

"Does something hurt? Did you get injured somewhere? Let me see." Akai quickly urged, placing the half-crushed bottle into his coat pocket and getting onto his knees, crouching protectively over Aoi like a father would his daughter or a brother his sister.

"I can feel my heart beating really strongly...and it hurts..." Akai just furrowed his brows and glanced at Compa.

He picked up Aoi, who yelped in surprise, and handed her to Compa, who was also startled by the sudden action. He looked into Compa's eyes, and she just stared back feebly.

"Keep her safe. Don't do anything stupid. If I don't come back, make sure you two get back safely." He said, and sprinted off before Compa could say anything in return.

_Histoire? What's the status?_

_**Akai? **_Histoire's voice was tinged with surprise. _**What happened? I heard-**_

_Give me a sitrep on the girls, now. We don't have the luxury of time. _

_**Akai?**_

_No time, Histoire! _

As Akai rounded a bend, he quickly drifted to a stop.

In front of him laid a spectacle he didn't want to see. A sight he wished he'd never laid eyes on.

Nepgear was unconscious on the floor, coated in dust and bruised to the ninth degree. Neptune was clearly struggling on the floor, and she did not look any better off than Nepgear.

Nisa was being thrown into complete agony, Akai couldn't withstand listening to the screams coming from her mouth, as a hooded man was laughing and slowly twisting her leg around. From a distance, IF was firing round after round with no success in sight, the man merely taking the bullets as if they were no bother at all.

_Dammit, I have to save them!_

Akai sprinted faster than he had ever done in his life, and, within a split second, found himself already next to the man tormenting Nisa. Deciding to go with the flow, he quickly spun and delivered a spinning kick. His boot connected with the back of the man's head, and he was sent flying away and into another building.

Akai watched in pure amazement as the building, dust pouring out, began to collapse in on itself. The sound was utterly dreadful, and Akai covered his ears as he watched the building fall to the ground and become nothing but a pile of rubble.

"Woah. Didn't figure I could do that." Akai muttered, impressed with himself before turning to Nisa who was still clutching her ankle in pain.

"Damn it! He was too cocky! And that was going too far!" Nisa complained as she massaged her foot, and Akai just grinned and placed his hand on the ankle.

"I'd ask if you were alright, but you don't seem it." Akai said, a little jest in his voice, and Nisa just laughed bitterly before groaning again and cradling her almost twisted ankle.

"Nisa?! Are you okay?!" IF yelled, dashing over to the two. Stopping right in front of the two, she suddenly blinked as the reality of what she was seeing set in. "Hang on...Akai?!"

"Anyone else you know who would dress like this? Actually, I should probably revise my outfit when I get back. The whole 'coat and boots' look doesn't seem to do well for me." Akai replied, laughing as he stood up. "Actually, I should be more concerned about-"

If cut him off with a sudden, tight embrace that almost sent Akai onto his rear.

Akai was nothing short of bewildered. "Wha-"

"You idiot! Don't just go and make me worry about you!" IF's voice was pleading, concerned, angry, hysterical and overjoyed all at the same time. She clenched him even tighter, and Akai felt the need to breathe suddenly become much more apparent.

But Akai felt like the need to breathe was a little less important than what was going on right now.

"IF? Um...it's okay. I'm alive, and all. And I kicked that bad guy's ass to kingdom come, literally." Akai tried to console her, but her tight, constricting embrace would not let him even turn around. "Um...look, I'm kinda worried about Neptune and Nepgear. Is it alright with you if I go check on them? See if they've still got their heads screwed on straight?"

"How rude of you! My head is screwed on perfectly fine!" That voice interrupted the strange mood of the moment, and Akai turned his head to see Neptune standing near him in human form looking chipper.

Except that she was covered in bruises, scrapes, and her nose was bleeding.

"Whoa. Well, you seem...alive." Neptune just grinned from ear to ear and back flipped in place as energetically as she would have without the injuries.

"Nepgear and I are fine. We were just...you know...letting the bad guy fall into a false sense of security." Neptune chuckled forcefully, and Akai just sighed and gestured for Neptune to approach him.

Akai, trying his best not to rub himself uncomfortably against the silent brunette tightly embracing his body, pulled out the crumpled bottle out of his coat pocket and handed it to the lightly injured CPU.

"Whoa! You bought my products! Yesssssss!" With a strange, random cry of triumph, Neptune snatched the bottle from Akai's hand and gulped down some of the contents in a flash. Within the next moment, she sprinted towards her little sister as quickly as a professional sprinter drinking Red Bull. She rolled Nepgear over, opened her mouth forcefully and poured the rest of the drink into her mouth.

Nepgear immediately sat up once the drink fell into her mouth, and she smacked Neptune's chin with her forehead as she did, leaving the two in a dazed, groaning heap of sisterhood.

"I cannot leave you to do anything, can I?." Akai muttered, laughing to himself.

"The method works, I'll have you know! See?" Neptune gestured heartily towards Nepgear in a manner reminiscent of a salesman trying his best to sell his product.

True to Neptune's cue, Nepgear had risen to her feet and was dusting off her torn and ripped clothes as if they had been dirtied. "Neptune, I think we need to modify the formula for the Nep Bull EX. It has too much caffeine..." She muttered, and she sounded slightly dazed but otherwise unharmed.

"Ooh, I asked Gusty to do that for me! It works like a charm, doesn't it?! Kinda makes ya wanna break the sound barrier, doesn't it?! Doesn't it?!" Neptune said enthusiastically, her voice getting progressively louder and louder until it was already a shout.

"Neptune, you're being too loud. In any case, this quest happens to be a failure. Even if we beat the Kupokats now, there isn't a town left to thank us for it." Akai said, taking a look at the scenery around him.

The sky had dimmed and darkened considerably, though it was still a clear blue. The pavement of the town was cracked and pummeled with what looked like gunshots and riddle with fallen debris and rubble. Buildings were destroyed and left in ruins, and the resulting leftover concrete, glass and steel were strewn about on the street everywhere. Some buildings were still on fire, and the smell of unhealthy smoke was filling the air.

"Well...I can see your point. But the Kupokats are not here, are they? They're in the forest nearby. As long as the Quest Target is still available, we will still hunt it down! For we are hunters!" Neptune declared proudly, flashing Akai a thumbs up.

"Well...under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't argue with you. However...we're not all in tiptop shape either. Let's all head back and rest. We can do the quest another day, when nothing else crazy happens." Akai said, and Neptune groaned but nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Alright then...um, IF? I can't keep walking if you're still holding onto me..." IF just remained silent, but Akai immediately felt a change in her grip. As he moved, her fingers loosened up and released his body. "IF!" He cried out and immediately caught her as she went limp and collapsed.

"IF!" Neptune, Nisa, Compa and Nepgear cried out. Akai immediately laid her down onto the ground and began touching her wrist and her forehead.

"Her vitals are low...what's going on?" Akai muttered as he crouched down next to the unconscious girl.

"She must just be tired and beat from all of that stuff she did. She also thought you were dead, and I guess that one must have been a big blow to her mind." Nisa offered as she attempted to stand up, and she grunted in pain when she crouched onto her bad leg.

"Don't push yourself. Hang on." Akai said, holding a hand up in a gesture for her to stop moving.

_Histoire?_

_**Akai! Thank god! You didn't give me time earlier! What happened to you?! **_Histoire's voice, full of relief and worry, came over the other end of the mental hotline. Akai smiled as he heard her voice, the relief washing over his system like cool water.

_Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight. Um...that's a bit of a long story. I'll tell you more about it later on. More importantly...about my ability?_

_**Your ability? **_Histoire's voice became skeptical, almost sounding unsure. _**What about it? Mind you, I know next to nothing about its capabilties. **_

_All I want to know is...well, I can summon things to use, right?_

_**Well, in theory, yes. **_Histoire said, channeling her teacher-like voice throught the mental link. _**You seem to be capable of summoning weapons. Though if you can summon anything else, I am unsure of. However, since you have created a supplement that transforms monsters into humans, I am more inclined to believe that your ability is dynamic and ever-changing. **_

_Um...so, can I summon objects?_

_**I don't see it impossible, but I'm not sure how you would even begin to do so. **_Histoire confessed, and her voice was full of doubt and defeat.

_I see. Well, thanks for telling me. I'm going to try now. _

Without waiting for Histoire to start spouting warnings, Akai closed his eyes and held his hand out.

_Okay...so._

_How do I do this? _

_Something about imagination, right? After all, I did manage to pull off the katana and bow last time. _

Akai, with closed eyes, saw nothing but blackness. It was the endless void that was granted when one forcibly kept their eyes shut. As he began to think and focus, he felt a very dull ache begin to form in the recesses of his mind.

"Akai, what are you..." He could faintly hear what seemed like IF's voice, but it was quickly tuned out by something, as if an invisible filter had placed itself over his ears and taken her voice out of the checklist for approved noise.

_Okay...Nisa's got a sprained ankle, nearly twisted. She can't afford to walk on it, since it hurts too much...It'd be really nice if we had a stretcher right now..._

Immediately, and to Akai's surprise, he could suddenly see the image of a stretcher floating in the blackness formed by the closing of his eyes.

"Whoa!" Suddenly, Neptune's voice pierced the haze surrounding Akai's ears like a sword through water. He opened his eyes, and saw that there was a stretcher now in front of him.

Or rather, Neptune was brandishing a stretcher like most would a sword in front of his face.

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this like those rare drops with a 1% drop rate in Story Quests?! Awesome! It probably has an attack power of-"

"Give me that you, fool." IF, already having released Akai, interrupted Neptune's spiel of idiocy and snatched the stretcher away much to the Planeptune CPU's dismay. IF held the purple-haired ditz at arm's length as she examined the stretcher in her hands. "Hmm...well, it's absurdly light. And sturdy for its weight. Well, I don't know why it's here, but it will definitely come in handy."

"Um...you okay, IF?" Akai asked the brunette, who turned to face him when he spoke.

"Yeah, why are you asking?" IF asked nonchalantly, and Akai just felt his insides churn in confusion.

"You were just..." Akai stopped when he looked into her eyes.

She was smiling as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't seen or done anything out of the ordinary.

But here eyes were wavering. Her irises were glistening, and they shook in place as if something were happening inside.

Like some sort of inner war was being waged within her being.

"...let's go home." Akai offered, shrugging it off and grinning.

Everyone just nodded in tired agreement.

* * *

"I assume the operation went smoothly."

"No hitches, chu~"

"Now, then. When will the next brigade be ready?"

"Within 72 hours, chu~"

"Too slow. Their dimensional time flow is 365 times faster than ours. You know what to do."

"Fine, chu~"

* * *

_Why did I do that?_

If was lost in thought. She reclined back in the relaxing, sturdy deck chair as the cool breeze slid over her skin.

It was already a day after the entire incident. IF was leaning back on a deck chair propped up on the balcony on the top floor of Neptune's home, the Planeptune Basilicom. The sky was a clear, cheerful blue with white clouds dotting it like cotton candy. The citizens below were bustling in their everyday lives as usual, tapping away at keyboards and touchscreens in the same way Planeptune's advanced technology has provided for its hardworking residents every day. With children inside playing video games as well as outside frolicking in the bright green grass and the clear water, it was almost hard to believe that there had been a major incident a mere day ago that had cost people their homes and some even their lives and loved ones. IF just sighed and looked up above, letting herself get sucked up into the expanse of blended blue colors made indescribable in beauty.

Akai had been left with no choice but to carry Nisa after Compa had applied some medical treatment to her leg. Nepgear had volunteered to carry the injured promoter of justice, but IF took the opportunity to keep her hands occupied.

She'd done it to get her mind off of things.

To get her stop thinking too hard.

_Why did I do that?_

That thought, like an arrow stuck inside that refused to come out no mater how much she tried to pull it out, pierced IF again.

Both in her head and in her heart.

_Why __**did **__I do that?_

IF thought long and hard about it.

She had met Akai mere days ago, when she had dropped from a tree and was faced with a teenage boy with a Dogoo on his shoulder. Mere moments after, he had stopped my attack with nothing but his fingers. Then, one thing led to another, and he had ended up living with them for two days. He'd then tried to earn his keep by joining the Guild after proving to IF that he had skill in battle.

Then the Guild Exam had glitched out, leaving Akai to fight an Ancient Dragon.

Suddenly, as she called to mind the image of Akai slicing an Ancient Dragon into pixels, a thought re-emerged into her mind. The thought that she had been trying to convey to Akai since yesterday. Before the whole Aoi-Mysterious-Figure Incident.

Akai had passed the Guild Exam with flying colors, skipping several ranks and already becoming a Rank 5 Hunter thanks to his fight with the Ancient Dragon.

According to the Guild Member who had informed her about the matter, it was their way of apologizing for the incident, apparently.

_He managed to defeat an Ancient Dragon nearly single-handedly...after all, Nisa and I didn't really manage to do much to it. _

The sound of the glass door leading to the balcony slid open, and IF twisted her neck around to face the intruding person.

"Oh, IF? You were here?" Compa asked with a bright smile. She approached IF, rounded the table near her and sat on the deck chair close to the one IF rested on now.

"Yeah...just taking a breather. How's Akai?" IF asked her medically-inclined friend as she moved into an upright sitting position and faced her.

After he had helped carry Nisa back, Akai had promptly, as if waiting to reach the doorway of his room, lost consciousness. Collapsing without warning, he'd managed to panic the Basilicom staff member that had chosen to accompany him to his room.

He hadn't woken up since.

"Akai's just resting. He seems to have a lot of energy taken out of him." Compa assured IF, and IF nodded before reclining once again on the chair.

"He's only been here for a few days, but he seems to be making a big fuss." IF muttered softly as if to herself, and Compa just giggled.

"True. He's a nice boy, though. I can tell you've taken a liking to him." Those words forced IF's eyes open faster and wider than the prospect of all her cellphones breaking on the spot.

She turned vigorously towards Compa, unable to control herself as she stared at her with a rapidly reddening face. "Wh-what do you mean by-"

"I can tell, Iffy. We've been together for how long. You see something else in him. And I think I've noticed it too." Compa said, and iF just stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

IF stomped over to her best friend, leaned down so that her body was a little lower, and grabbed Compa by the shoulders. "What do you mean, you've noticed it too?! Don't tell me that-"

"It's not like I like him the way you like him, Iffy." Compa tutted, placing her finger on IF's lips to keep her quiet. "I can see why you like him. He just seems like the type you can't really leave alone."

"So..." IF trailed off, tilting her head. Compa just looked back at her, giggling.

"He's all yours, Iffy." IF just turned away, averting her gaze from her friend.

_Why did I do that?_

The memory of her arms encircling Akai's warm and firm body, the feeling of safety and relief as she did.

It was positively embarrassing.

_But why? It's not like I... _IF thought, bringing her right hand to rest on the top of her brown hair.

The two had only met a few days ago. IF knew next to nothing about him save for the fact that he had come from another dimension.

Was it because she knew nothing?

Was it because it was a scene right out of a fantasy?

_No, that's not why. I don't think I like him like that...but...when I see him...my chest throbs..._

_Why?_

Or is it because when she looks into his strangely iridescent eyes, they seemed to gleam with some sort of sorrow in them?

A boy with a mysterious past who looked like he had emotional problems.

_It's like a story out of a movie._

"Hey guys! What might you lovely ladies be doing out on my little terrace?" The voice belonged to an overly boisterous Neptune, who suddenly erupted from the potted plant near the entrance of the door. Compa shrieked, startled by the CPU's sudden entrance, and hid her frame behind the deck chair as much as possible.

"Same thing to you, Neppy." IF commented, not even remotely surprised at the purple-haired girl's spontaneous entrance. "Why on earth were you in a terracotta pot meant for plants?"

"Would you ask the same question to a animal and its fur? Or perhaps I might ask that of you and your coat. Nay, my dear little Iffy." Neptune tutted, making her voice sound as baritone and old as she could. "I have become one with the pot. The pot is me. And I am the pot."

"I'd be troubled if my CPU were to be a pot. So please get out of it, or you'll just let the soil seep into what's left of your brain, Neptune." The harsh remark came from Histoire, who was floating in the doorway next to Neptune. Her voice was deadpan, and so was her face.

"Oo, that was a good retort, Histoire." Neptune surrendered with a smile and clambered out of the clay pot, and she brought with her an abominable amount of soil that hit the floor of the balcony messily and scattered.

It created a big mess, to speak the least.

Histoire said nothing, unsurprised by the turn of events, and just rested her forehead in her palm and her arm in her other palm.

"Neptune, clean that up." Histoire muttered, and she sounded on the verge of exploding.

The purple-haired girl immediately saluted and dashed inside, bringing even more dirt into the interior of the Basilicom, and the Oracle of Planeptune just stared after her while massaging her temples in frustration.

"She never changes, does she?" Compa remarked, smiling in nostalgia.

"Yeah." IF agreed with a tired smile, leaning back onto the deck chair and removing her coat, letting it hang onto the corner of the chair. She was wearing her black sleeveless top and black fitting shorts, almost like a gymnast in appearance.

"She hasn't changed one bit." Histoire groaned as if complaining, and the other two just laughed lightly and nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Compa, how's Nisa?" IF suddenly said as if she had just remembered, and turned to face the peach-haired girl resting on the deck chair near her.

Compa looked in the direction of the building where Akai's room was.

"She's still asleep, but she's resting fine. Her leg was close to breaking, but it was

just twisted. She'll be fine. She'll recover tomorrow, at the most." Compa said reassuringly, and IF just nodded in relief and sank back down into the chair.

"...IF. Compa. I need to tell you something." Suddenly, Histoire's voice grew so serious that the two immediately turned to her without hesitation.

Histoire was looking at them, her expression a mix of confusion and concern.

"The thing is...during Akai's battle..."

* * *

Akai was lost.

Looking around didn't help him at all. He had no idea where he was. It was the same room from before, one that looked as if it were surveying the universe from above. Stars of all sorts dotted the scenery, shining and twinkling impossibly bright. Spirals of stars rotating slowly in the form of the arms of spinning galaxies.

It was the same as before. When he had been called to that place, and there was someone who looked like Arfoire there. It didn't really seem to make sense at all, but the dream remained fresh in his mind. In fact, he remembered most every detail.

But when it came to the last part, the imagery began to get hazy. By the time he had managed to reach his metal image of the last thing he could remember, the once vivid recollection had become a headache to keep. Shaking his head to clear it of the memories of what had happened, he began to take a look around.

True to what it looked like before, he was in what seemed like a seemingly endless expanse that had a panoramic view of the universe. The floor, just like the first time, seemed nonexistent yet one could walk on it without worrying.

It was a surreal experience, that was for sure.

_Why the hell am I here again? _Akai thought as he continued walking, casting his gaze about for something that might catch his interest. But nothing did. The only thing he could see was space.

It seemed endless, and it stayed that way while he walked forward aimlessly. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own calm breathing and the roaring of blood in his ears. The silence was overwhelming, but Akai tried his very best not to let it unnerve him.

Unlike the last time he was here, there was no one.

Loneliness.

Silence.

Akai's slow breathing began to quicken, and his heart began to punch his chest. He felt sweat begin to trace his brow and descend down the back of his neck, sending a chill down his back even without the wind.

"...someone...around?" Akai's voice came out not like how it usually was. It was weaker, more feeble. A small dose of fear was mixed within his voice, and he was trying his utter best not to let it get to him.

But the lack of noise was really begin to disturb him.

He cast his gaze around, beginning to get frantic, searching for something. Anything.

_Someone!_

_Anyone!_

"So...this is that rodent's great plan? You?" Suddenly, a harsh and sadistic voice broke through the silence and pierced Akai's ears like a knife.

Immediately, the scenery changed hectically. The sky was suddenly dyed with the bright crimson of a setting sun, but it was far redder than what it should be. Black clouds swirled above, rumbling ominously with thunder and lightning.

The ground was cracked with fissures all around, like the world had been shaken by an earthquake. Disfigured mountains, debris of all kinds, and upturned earth was scattered as far as the eye could see.

As Akai spun around to face the voice, he froze in place. "What...the hell..."

"You don't even reek of power. What foolishness." A woman, clad in skimpy black armor and surrounded by floating pieces of technology, said disdainfully. She took a step forward in her black iron heel boots and cracked the ground yet again with her stomp.

Her long pink hair, her eyepatch and her blade.

"What are you doing here, CFW Magic?" Akai asked, his body instinctively entering a fighting stance. He held out his hand, and a sword materialized. He grabbed it, unsheathed it, and held it at the ready.

"I will not answer any questions posed by the unworthy." She responded hatefully, spitting the words out as if she was about to choke on each one. "All you need to do is to die here."

Once she said that, she immediately launched herself at Akai, her inhuman speed catching him off guard. He held his weapon up to block her attack, but Magic's slash easily sent him flying through force alone.

Akai soared backwards, his body crashing into a nearby mountain. As he hit the object, he felt it was soft.

Not a mountain.

He glanced behind him, and immediately wished he hadn't.

The mountain was made of bodies.

Human bodies.

Akai immediately leaped away from the mountain, just in time to dodge a powerful laser that blew away the mountain. As he landed, he looked on to see the mountain had been reduced to nothing.

"...you're not one to afford mercy, are you?" Akai muttered, disgust in his voice as he faced Magic and gripped his sword tighter.

Magic just sneered and came at him, performing a powerful overhead slash. As Akai narrowly sidestepped the attack, he struck her shoulder with his sword only to see it snap over her armor. Cursing silently, he somersaulted over her second slash and distanced himself.

Magic stood up, going into a less aggressive position, and spat on the ground. "You're a slippery one, for a mere human."

"There's more where that came from, Magic." Akai responded coolly before drawing a claymore out of the air. He dashed forward, his speed making Magic widen her eyes.

He leaped up and performed a kick, and Magic quickly raised her massive sword and blocked the kick. Akai quickly grabbed the sword and quickly vaulted over it before landing a solid kick across Magic's face. She took it and returned it with a punch, which Akai ducked under and swung the claymore with all of the strength he could afford.

But the sword, like the last one, crumbled as it struck her armor. Akai clicked his tongue in frustration before planting his hands into the ground and kicking the back of Magic's knee, sending her onto the floor. Akai quickly backed away as Magic cursed and got back to her feet.

"You cannot harm me, human. I will kill you like the scum you are." Magic cursed, frustration in her tone, as she swept her arm out and thrust it towards him.

A large sphere of purple energy suddenly formed in her palm, and Akai tensed.

_Fuck, how do I get past this one? _His thoughts raced back and forth as he got ready to dodge.

Akai knew that no matter what he did, he wasn't ready to fight Magic. Not right now.

On his own, he wasn't strong enough.

Magic sent an evil smile his way as she thrust her arm out, and the ball sent a sonic-boom through the air as it shot towards Akai at the speed of a car.

_Damn! I won't be able to get out of-_

And suddenly, it was gone.

"...huh?" Was Akai's only reaction as he attempted to process what he was looking at now.

It was the ceiling of his room.

Akai just sighed and closed his eyes.

_A dream, huh? Definitely not one of my better ones. _

As he decided to try and sit up, he realized that there was a weight holding him down. As he looked down hesitantly, he was surprised to see Aoi sitting on him with her hands planted onto his chest. Her hands were glowing with a dim, steady green light that surrounded her hands like an aura. Aoi's face was scrunched into a cute expression of concentration, and her hands were so tense it was as if they were sticks.

"Um..Aoi? What are you doing?" As if struck by lightning, Aoi squealed in surprise and fell off of me, hitting the floor with a solid thump. Within the next instant, Aoi stood up and gazed at Akai intensely for a moment.

That intense gaze, after a few seconds, was replaced with an expression ready to burst into tears. Her eyes teared up, her lips tightened and her cheeks reddened. She ran at Akai, leaped, and tackled him back onto the bed. Her arms embraced him tightly, so tightly that he felt his breathing lessen significantly.

"I was so worried about you! You just collapsed after bringing Nisa in! I didn't know what to do! Don't ever do that again, Akai!" She cried out, and Akai could hear her trying her best to hold back her tears and failing miserably. As the tears began to drip down from her eyes, she buried her face into Akai's chest.

Akai just smiled and placed her hand on top of the girl's head, rubbing it back and forth. "Since when did you learn to talk so well? You were learning how to speak basic words just yesterday. Or was that the day before?"

Aoi just looked at him with what was an adorable crying face mixed in with a little bit of anger and frustration, which was used in the light beating of Akai's chest. with her tiny fists. "I've been doing this long enough to hold a conversation well. Not much more than that, Akai."

The recollection of Aoi's hands over his chest came back to Akaim and his expression grew serious. "Aoi, what were you doing while I was sleeping? When I came to, you were-"

"Oh, one of the books I was reading was authored by someone in Lowee, and it had information regarding healing magic. I was using that on you." She said matter-of-factually, and Akai just stared at her before chuckling. "Well, that means I have you to thank for healing faster, huh? Anything else interesting happen?"

"Oh, I turned in a quest while you were out." Aoi said, placing a finger on her chin and looking away as if thinking hard. "Also, I bought a staff with the money I got in addition to some Credits that Histoire lent me. She said you'd pay for it, anyway."

That statement took a while to hit Akai completely.

"Wait...you took on a Quest?" He asked her, bewildered. Aoi just nodded and held out her hand. A magic staff suddenly appeared out of thin air, and Aoi took hold of it and twirled it once.

"Yeah, it wasn't too difficult. Dogoos really are the easiest monsters to defeat. Especially if you just bombard them with magic from a distance." Aoi said as if she were the teacher and he the student. As she waved the staff once in the direction of the door, Akai was astonished to see the door swing open.

"Aoi...how long did it take for you to start learning magic?" He asked weakly, and Aoi just let the staff disappear.

"Hmm...well, ever since you passed out, I didn't like the feeling of helplessness I had. I wasn't able to do anything. So...ever since you passed out yesterday, I suppose. I was up all night reading some tomes Histoire lent me." Akai just sighed and slowly got out of the bed.

True to the idea that he'd been healed with magic, not a single part of his body hurt at all. As he stood up firmly and tested his limbs, he was surprised to find that he felt good. Even better than he felt before the Quest.

"So...I guess you'll be helping me out from here on out, huh?" Akai said, and Aoi just grinned from ear to ear and nodded. She then suddenly looked like she remembered something important, and put her finger over her lips in a _shush _fashion.

"I just remembered. Nisa's here, too, so try and keep it down." Akai nodded when he did, and asked her where she was with his eyes. She responded to his gaze by gesturing towards the door that led to the living room with her hands. He tiptoed to the door and, ever so carefully, opened it and peeked out.

There, lying down on the couch, was the Maker who stood for justice. Lying down facing the ceiling like Akai was moments earlier, her right leg was heavily wrapped in bandages. Despite what looked like a serious injury, Nisa was snoring loudly and sleeping soundly.

"Figures. The girls here are so resilient, it's no wonder there's no male protagonist in any of the games." Akai muttered to himself jokingly before walking towards the unconscious woman, leaving the door hanging on its own.

Nisa just snored on as Akai drew closer, and he took a careful seat on the couch next to the one she slept on. He looked her up and down, reconfirming that she wasn't hurt anywhere else.

"Hey, Aoi." Akai spoke softly, and her head poked out of the door frame to look at him questioningly. "Mind handing me those books about healing magic you read up on? I'm gonna try it out."


	12. Chapter 11: Day of Relaxation

**Chapter 11: Day of Relaxation**

"...it might be a little late to say anything, but you learn really fast." Aoi commented, looking over the kitchen counter to peek at Akai in the living room.

After searching through the books that Aoi had used for around thirty minutes, and then practicing for another thirty, Akai had already become able to use mid-level magic spells. Sending a pillow across the room with a magic spell had become elementary for him, and he was just having fun levitating objects now.

"Well, I think it has something to do with that weapon in my bloodstream. I don't know for sure, though. I do know that I can learn how to do something pretty fast." Akai replied, now slowly lifting a chair with magic. As he made circles with the object, Aoi just smiled and went back into the kitchen.

"Well, with how things are, we can both start living together and helping each other out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be learning how to cook." Aoi said curtly before withdrawing into the kitchen, and the sound of the refrigerator opening was heard. "Hey, something you want for dinner?"

"I'll be happy with whatever you cook. I have faith that whatever you cook will be delicious." Akai said nonchalantly.

Aoi instantly poked her head out of the counter again and looked at the teenage boy lying down on the floor. "Akai...do you say things like that all the time?"

Akai sat back up when he heard the question, and turned to the humanoid Dogoo with a face that looked like he had no idea what she was trying to say. "Um...I don't know. Why? Did I say something weird?"

Aoi just sighed, shook her head and retreated into the kitchen.

"Just a few days ago, she didn't even know how to talk and now look at her." Akai mumbled to himself, chuckling as he stood up. He walked back to the couch where Nisa was sleeping. He knelt onto the carpet and placed his hands onto her ankle. "If I'm not mistaken..."

As he began to focus his mind, he felt his willpower probe inside himself, searching for his inner magical energy.

_The book detailed that it can be visualized as a sphere of energy deep within my body that can be accessed only through the psyche, as well as be drawn out by it..._

Akai's closed eyes saw nothing but darkness as he swam through what seemed like empty nothingness. As if he were floating in the bottom of a dark pool, he was confronted with overwhelming silence and a void of pure black.

_Ugh...I don't like dealing with this. But the book did say connecting to your internal reservoir did involve a first-time process...kind of like those rare cafés that give you something nice on the first visit. Or something like that? _

Akai's focus wavered as he immersed himself in what seemed like the endless darkness that was his own mind. As he continued onward, he suddenly felt his eyes being pricked by a dull, faint light. He turned to the source, and he could see what looked like a faraway spark of shimmering light. It seemed like it was shining through a filter, as the rays that pierced through the black were very limited and scattered.

_So...I guess I follow this, huh? Is this how everyone in Lowee pops their magic cherry? _

Akai urged his body to move towards the source of light, and he began running towards it as fast as he can.

He regretted it in a moment.

What he thought was a distant, small orb was far different up close. But when he suddenly found himself standing directly in front of it as if he had been teleported, the globe of luminous energy now loomed over him imposingly. It radiated soft, gentle light that felt soothing as it bathed his body, and he felt his eyes widen with renewed energy.

_Is this how it works? I kinda feel like I'm cheating here… _Akai thought to himself as he gazed upwards at the massive sphere that was much larger than he was.

He reached out to touch it, and when his fingers made contact with the sphere, he suddenly felt his body surge with power. It was like he'd been jolted with a non-lethal electric shock. As that energy began to pile up within him, he watched in amazement as the globe slowly shrank and shrank until it disappeared.

And it was black once again.

Akai opened his eyes.

"Don't worry, I went through the same thing when I first tried it. You'll get used to it. It's been described as that jolt of energy you get when you drink a cup of coffee." Aoi called from the kitchen, and the sound of something sizzling was coming out.

Akai sniffed the air, and he could smell the delicious scent of breaded pork cutlets being fried. He felt his stomach rumble in appreciation of the food, and he licked his lips in anticipation. "Since when did you learn to cook breaded pork chops?"

"You just focus on healing Nisa, Akai. She'll need it. I'd feel bad if we ate without her." Aoi shot back, and Akai nodded in agreement. He turned to the sleeping girl, and he just sighed and placed his hands over her ankle.

"So…does this work like how skills work in the game, or do I just-"Akai stopped talking the instant his hands began glowing with a faint, green aura that coated his palms. He stared at them for a moment before he carefully laid them on Nisa's ankle. "Well…I guess that works?"

"Hmm? How's it going for you? Did you get it already?" Aoi called out from the kitchen again, and Akai could hear the sound of a bottle of carbonated soda being opened.

"Any advice on strengthening the spell?" Akai asked, completely clueless on what to do.

"Um…you know the way you tense when you take a crap?" Akai raised his eyebrows at the level of language the little girl was using, but refrained from commenting on it. "It's kinda like that, and then you have to visualize that you're sending energy into whatever you're doing."

"More visualizing, huh?" Akai sighed, feeling a little tired of the requirement of using his imagination. But he turned back to the task and placed his hands on her ankle again.

Focusing on the white bandages and his hands on the bandages, he slowly willed out the energy as if it were a force within him. Like forcing out a yawn, he felt the energy slowly begin to move from somewhere deep within his body. His arms began to glow brightly with a green light, and the energy began to shine over Nisa's injured leg.

It lasted for a few seconds, and then Akai willed it to stop. The flow of energy slowly subsided, and the light ceased. He removed his hands from her ankle and sighed, feeling a little drain on his newly acquired reservoir of energy.

"Good job." Akai turned around to see Aoi standing in the kitchen doorway, a snicker of a smile on her face. Next to her, three plates were levitating and filled up with rice and breaded pock cuts. "I say it again. You learn really quickly."

"Forget that, let's eat." Akai tossed the compliment aside, fluffing up the pillows next to him as Aoi approached. Aoi took a seat on the cushion next to Akai, and the plates floated gently onto the table next to the two.

"Wake her up, first." Aoi reminded him, and Akai just nodded in agreement and drew closer to the sleeping blue-haired girl. As he did, he began to feel increasingly strange.

…_wait, how exactly do I do this?_

"Don't tell me you're not sure how to wake up a sleeping lady." Aoi teased, and Akai just sighed and shot her a look before turning back to his predicament.

It wasn't really that big of a problem.

But it bugged him.

First, he started by rustling her shoulder.

No good. She just rolled over in her sleep and batted his hand away, mumbling all the while.

Next, he poked her in the stomach.

No good. She just rolled over again, this time facing away from him. Her snore intensified, and Aoi began giggling as she looked on.

"…am I supposed to wake her up this way?" Akai asked, unsure of his methods. He poked her again, and this time she groaned and shifted. But she remained fast asleep.

"Well, it's one way of doing it, I suppose." Aoi said weakly in between gasps of breath, and Akai just sidled over to her within the blink of an eye and lightly swatted her on the top of her head before returning to Nisa.

"Hmm…how do I go about this…?" Akai muttered to himself softly, and Aoi just sighed in the background.

Aoi moved closer to the table and began fixing the position of the silverware. "Well, no matter how you do it, we're still not eating. The food will get cold if you don't hurry up."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the memo." Akai replied, like a son to his mother, and turned his full attention and focus to Nisa.

_Well…there is a large variety of potential methods. From poking and rustling down to buckets of ice water and pie…Hmm…_

Akai stood up, exhaling loudly, and was just about to declare a loud statement when the sound of his door being violently thrown open cut him off. His voice stuck in his throat, he faced the doorway.

And who should be standing there but the ever so intrusive Console Patron Unit of Planeptune.

"Good evening, everyone!" Neptune yelled energetically as she dashed inside the room and skidded to a stop. Fixing herself in place, she twirled and posed like an idol. "Your beloved CPU is in the house!"

"…that one entrance wasn't as strange as the other ones. Running out of ideas?" Akai commented, grinning.

Neptune just crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, I have a hard time being original. If you have a problem with my lines, please confer with my assistant."

"Assistant?" Akai replied, the wackiness of the moment distracting him completely from his dilemma.

"Hi, Akai." Nepgear's head poked out from the door frame all of a sudden. "Is it alright if we come in?"

Akai nodded, and Nepgear approached him. Once she was close enough to him, Nepgear bowed deeply. "I apologize for my sister." She said, as if reflecting on some horrible action she had done.

"Um…shouldn't that be something more like 'I apologize for intruding'?" Akai asked, trying not to laugh at the words.

Nepgear just looked back up at him. "No, you know that it's supposed to be for my sister."

_Wow. I can't really reply to that harsh remark. _At a loss for words, that was the only thing that Akai could think of.

"I'm not your assistant, Neptune." Histoire's voice cut through the commotion, and Akai managed to catch a glimpse of her smacking the CPU on the top of her head swiftly. The sound made by the strike was so loud it made Akai wince, and Aoi just whistled in appreciation. Neptune, on the other hand, retreated from the floating fairy cradling her head in her arms.

"How cruel of you, Histoire! You dealt a fatal blow to your own master! What are you going to do to make up for it?!"

"I won't be doing anything to make up for justifying your foolishness, Neptune!"

Akai just sighed at the frantic argument taking place and glanced at Nisa, and was surprised to see she hadn't woken up yet. He sagged his shoulders in defeat. "How the hell do you wake her up?"

"Oh, that? This is how you do it." Neptune suddenly broke out of the argument and ran over to the unconscious Hero of Justice.

The minute she did, Akai saw Nepgear's face go pale. She immediately dashed towards Akai, grabbed his sleeve, grabbed Aoi as well, and began dragging them out of the room.

"Hey, what are you-"Akai was silenced by Nepgear's shush, and she managed to drag them out of the doorway and into the hallway.

Akai managed to hear Neptune mumble something from behind the wall.

The next thing he knew, a portion of the wall crashed into the hallway. The rubble piled up in front of him, and on top of that pile lay a grinning Neptune who had the '_it was so worth_'_ it _look.

"…what did you do?" Akai asked, and Neptune just shot him a thumbs up.

"Justice is just like batteries. Triple As." Neptune said weakly, and she coughed up an abnormal amount of blood before passing out.

* * *

After ten minutes of calming down a Hero of Justice on the verge of bludgeoning the Planeptune CPU to death, the whole group was now sitting in Akai's massive kitchen enjoying Aoi's cooking.

"Histoire, why is Akai's room so much better than mine? And I'm the CPU." Neptune directed the innocent question towards the Oracle, who just sighed.

"I already told you when we were discussing where to let him stay, Neptune." Histoire reminded. "This floor was reserved for storage, but it was never used because there was no need. Since there weren't even any rooms, we just gave him the whole floor, and we just added some accommodations to the floor to make it liveable."

"Liveable? His room's better than mine." Neptune repeated incessantly, and Histoire just sighed and took another mouthful of rice.

Akai just smiled and took another spoonful of pork and rice, wolfing it down after chewing a little. "Aoi, you cook really well despite your inexperience."

Aoi just grinned proudly, puffing her chest out. "Praise me more if you think it's that good, then!" She boasted arrogantly, and she lowered her head slightly towards Akai.

"Okay, okay. You did really good, Aoi." Akai replied, and he reached out to pat the top of her head. She just smiled and nuzzled his hand as he stroked her hair gently, like one would a cat.

"It amazes me to think that she didn't even know how to talk a few days ago." IF commented, and Akai nodded in agreement while patting Aoi.

"Well, yeah. She's more like a little sister now than a pet." Akai laughed, and he ruffled Aoi's hair messily before returning to his meal. He grabbed a massive piece of breaded pork and sent it into his mouth whole. "Well, at the rate she's growing, she's going to mentally mature faster than Neptune the day after tomorrow."

"Hey!" Neptune exclaimed, pointing her chopsticks at Akai accusingly. "That's not true! I'll bet you she'll get close next week!"

"I'll take you up on that bet." Akai shot back, and the two grinned and clasped hands in agreement.

Histoire just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Akai, try your best not to go along with Neptune's stupidity too often."

Akai just grinned and held up his glass. "Not to worry. It may be fun, but it's not like I'll be doing it all the time."

"Doing it at all concerns me." Histoire replied curtly while trying to hold back a smile, and everyone else chuckled lightly.

"That aside, Aoi can do Quests on her own. I'll just have her register, and then we'll be earning our keep here, Histoire. You have no problem with that, right?" Akai said, guzzling the rest of his drink within a single gulp.

Histoire just looked at him, surprised. "Oh? Well, I have no qualm with it. Rather, I'm surprised that Aoi will be taking on Quests with you."

"Never underestimate a lady just because she's tiny, Histoire." Aoi replied, slamming her glass onto the table and leaning forward intimidatingly. "You of all people should know that, right?"

Histoire chose to ignore the comment, instead taking her cup and sipping it.

"Well, regardless of that, I need to speak with you on another important matter, Akai."

"Oh, is this about my power-thing that I don't understand?" Akai replied, his tone growing a very slight tad serious.

Histoire nodded, and she set her cup down. "To tell you the truth, I already informed IF and Compa about this while you were unconscious."

"I don't mind." Akai replied casually, leaning backwards with his arms planted into the floor behind him. "So? What do you have to tell me?"

Histoire cleared her throat. "Now, when I was monitoring your systems during the Quest, I made several observations." She floated down onto the table and stood up, and began walking slowly towards Akai. "Frankly, I don't really understand what I was seeing myself. But I will tell you a few things."

She held up her finger. "One: I did a little digging. And from what I found, the serum that you ingested was not the real weapon."

"What?" Akai replied, bewildered.

"Apparently, the serum had been switched out with another substance. We don't quite understand what it was, as it seems too complicated for our current technology to disassemble and analyse." Histoire said, and Akai shook off his surprise and nodded silently. The atmosphere slowly began to lose its humour, and everyone realize that Akai was getting truly serious.

Histoire held up her fingers to make the 'two' sign. "Second: Your power seems to be linked to the Sharicite." Those words caught Akai off guard, but he leaned forward without a word and nodded. "When you were summoning weapons and using those attacks of yours, the Sharicite was fluctuating in a way I've never witnessed in my years as an Oracle." Histoire said, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Akai. "I still need to look into this matter."

"Ooh, I remember feeling something strange a few days ago." Neptune suddenly piped up, her voice so loud that the others winced. "I sensed something really strange. Like…ya know that feeling you get when you think that someone's talking about you? It was kinda like that, but different. More intense, I guess."

"Hmm…you described it as the feeling you get when you swear that you left the video game on even though you know you turned it off before you left the room." Nepgear commented, and Neptune immediately snapped her fingers with an '_I remember now!' _face.

"I see." Akai agreed, his voice low. He looked back at Histoire. "Anything else?"

"Three." Histoire continued, her hand making the 'three' sign. "The use of your power, as far as my estimate can tell, seems to make use of an advanced level of nanotechnology that is essentially a mix of both technology and magic."

"What?!" Nepgear exclaimed. "Not even Lowee's best engineers have gotten close to creating technology on that level yet!"

"Indeed." Histoire nodded, her expression complicated. "As such, I am concerned for Akai because if something happens, there is a chance we may not be able to help him."

"None of the nations can help him?" Nisa asked curiously. "There's gotta be someone who has an idea of what's going on.

Histoire just shook her head. "Unfortunately, none of the nations happen to have a level of technology capable of dissecting what's swirling in Akai's body. It's too risky to attempt it with magic as well, because we have no idea where to begin. There are too many things we don't know."

"That certainly is true." Akai confessed. "So, about those guys from that attack…"

"Unfortunately, we don't know who they are, why they were here, or what their goal was. No leads, and scanning their bodies doesn't turn up anything." Histoire said gloomily, and Akai suddenly stood up and walked over to the miniscule Oracle. She looked at him questioningly as he sat down next to her and looked at her in the eye with a small smile on his face.

He reached out and began patting her on the head.

Surprised, she reached up to shield her head. "Akai, what are you-"

"Look at it this way. We don't have anything to worry about for the time being. After all, we can't do anything except prepare in case it happens again. Yeah, yeah, there are massive implications that this has, and so we can't just ignore it. But if you pull hair out over it, what will that accomplish? Losing sleep over it will just make you less prepared. Now, we have time to relax and prepare." Akai said, and he just stroked Histoire's head as he did so. Histoire was just listening intently, and she had sunken to her knees. "If we relax and let it happen as it happens, then we'll be fine. We'll be ready for it."

"Why are you telling me this?" Histoire asked, unable to understand what he was doing.

"You always look so work-busy and all that, you know. And when you showed that face that looked like you regretted not working hard enough, I couldn't just sit over there and say nothing." Akai said, and he laughed a little whle continuing to stroke Histoire's head.

"…I see." Histoire said, and she just smiled and placed her hands on Akai's. "Thank you, Akai. You really are quite kind, aren't you?"

"Not really. You deserve it, so someone's gotta say the words, right?" Akai replied and he suddenly picked up Histoire up.

Histoire immediately squealed in surprise as she was easily lifted into the air by Akai's hands. "Wh-what are you-"

Without a word, Akai placed onto his lap and put his arms over his shoulders in an embrace.

Histoire's face went beet red from the unexpected motion, and she immediately began to squirm in his grasp. "Akai! What do you-"

"You're always working so hard, Histy. Just sit here and let the troubles wash away. I don't mind; that's why I put you here." Akai said, and he smiled with such a carefree look that everyone else was only more and more surprised. "You need to relax. I'll take care of it once it happens, so don't worry about a thing."

Histoire said nothing, instead facing the floor and slowly leaning backwards onto Akai's torso. As she rested against him, Akai nodded in approval and began to massage her shoulders.

"You really are the kindest person I've met in a long time." Histoire said softly, her voice becoming much more relaxed as she took deep breaths while Akai massaged her gently.

"Um…" Neptune spoke up, a little embarrassed. "Histy, did he unlock your route or something?"

"Neptune." Akai replied before Histoire did, and they locked eyes. "Leave her alone for now. She needs to chill."

Neptune just nodded in agreement, and shot him a wide smile before devouring the rest of the food on her plate like a hungry wolf. "In that case, would ever-kind Akai mind if he gave the ever-lovable Neptune seconds?"

Akai nodded and glanced at Aoi. Aoi caught his gaze and nodded. "Coming right up, Neptune!" She said enthusiastically before jumping to her feet and running into the kitchen.

IF cleared her throat loudly and placed her finished plate onto the table. "By the way, Akai…"

"Mm?" He tilted his head questioningly, still massaging Histoire with his hands.

"Are you going to register Aoi with the Guild and start going on Quests tomorrow?" IF asked, trying to ignore the bizarre sight of Histoire enjoying a massage.

"Yeah." Akai nodded, and he switched his arms from Histoire's shoulders to her neck. "I can't just stay here in this awesome room and have nothing to show for it. I need to earn my keep, and Aoi's got her own payment to think about."

"Akai, you don't have to-"Histoire tried to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat by a groan of pain as Akai pressed firmly onto her neck.

"Even if you say that it's okay to house me without rent or doing anything, I don't feel right about doing it. Besides, it'd be weird for me to be here without doing anything." Akai said with a grin.

"Well, I guess I can't really deny you if you really want to…" Histoire muttered, her voice beginning to get sleepy. "We can discuss it tomorrow…"

"Make that evening, Histy. I'm going to get on a Quest directly after we get Aoi registered." Akai concluded as he removed his hands from Histoire and place her onto her floating tome. She rubbed her eye drowsily and let out a cute yawn.

"So soon?" Nisa asked him curiously, and Akai nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like to test out the magic I learned." He replied as he stood up and watched as the kitchen door swung open. Aoi walked in with a plate that had a mountain of rice on it. She held another plate with a mountain of breaded pork cutlets on it, still steaming hot.

"Yes!" Neptune leaped into the air and then dashed like a madman at the little girl, snatching the plates out of her hands and running back to the table dangerously quickly.

How she balanced the food on the plate was the mystery.

"You learned magic?" Nepgear asked, fixing up her finished plate. "Impressive."

"That's not it, Nepgear." Aoi said as she began arranging the rest of the finished plates. "He learnt it a few hours ago. And he's already decent at using mid-level spells."

IF's eyes widened in shock. "A few hours?! That's not possible!"

Akai just shrugged and held his hand up. A small flame suddenly burst into existence above his open palm, and it hovered there while flickering brightly. "I dunno. It just happened."

"He reads a few tomes, and then he goes and becomes a mage. Maybe he's cut out for Lowee, huh?" Nisa commented, laughing as she took a small sip of water.

"Well, I want to go around and try out magic while orienting Aoi on Questing and all that. First tomorrow." Akai said, and he winked at Aoi. She just grinned and walked back in the kitchen miraculously balancing all of the plates in her hands.

"…she grew up really fast, didn't she?" Compa said, and Akai just nodded with a tinge of pride.

"I feel kind of like a dad." He said, and everyone chuckled lightly.

"Well, I will retire for the night. Tomorrow, I will be monitoring you again just to be consistent. That shouldn't pose a problem, right?"

Akai nodded. "Nah, it shouldn't. It should help as well, right?"

Histoire nodded. "Well then, I'm going to retire now. See you in the morning Akai." With that, she floated back up and began hovering in the direction of the door. Everyone immediately repeated what she said and then filed out in an orderly manner.

Once the door closed, Akai sighed. As he headed into the bathroom, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

_Wait…see you in the morning? Wouldn't that usually be 'good night' or 'sleep well' from Histoire?_

…

_Why do I feel like something's gonna happen tomorrow? _


	13. Chapter 12: Strong Body, Strong Heart

**Chapter 12: Strong Body, Strong Heart**

It had gone wrong before Akai had even left for the morning.

He had woken up early, as promised, and got into the shower. He quickly took a new selection of clothes, donning a simple plain black t-shirt and a pair of black denim jeans. With a pair of black sneakers and a simple watch, which he didn't even realize was in the closet, he had walked right into the kitchen to make their packed lunch.

He hadn't expected to find Neptune and Nepgear sitting at the table in the dining room and eating instant noodles.

"What…are you doing here?" Akai asked, unwilling to process what was in front of him. Especially since it was so early in the morning.

Neptune just looked over her shoulder at him, noodles still hanging from her lips. Nepgear looked over at him and swallowed, and she just bowed her head.

"Sorry, Akai." Nepgear said apologetically. "My sister was so excited that she couldn't sleep. I tried my best to keep her out of your room, but…"

"We're coming with you today, and that's that! We're like those pieces of equipment that glitch out, and you can't unequip them!" Neptune replied, slurping up more noodles. The soup from the paper cup splashed out, and it splattered onto the table messily.

Akai just hung his head, sighed, and walked to the two of them. He leaned onto the backrest of the chair Neptune was sitting in.

"Look, you two." Akai replied while leaning forward intimidatingly. "Visiting and breaking in are two different things."

"Fine, fine, mom." Neptune groaned as she stood up and walked towards the door. "We'll be upstairs if you need us. We'll be back down here in thirty minutes, ya hear?"

As Neptune walked out the door, Nepgear bowed apologetically one final time before quickly exiting and closing the door quietly behind her.

"Not this early in the morning…" Akai mumbled, irritated, as he walked back into the kitchen and opened the door to the refrigerator.

The next thing to go wrong was the sudden absence of food in the refrigerator. As Akai closed it again, and then opened it again as if food would reappear if he did, he suddenly noticed a piece of paper stuck to the freezer above the refrigerator door. He leaned over, gently removing it from underneath a magnet, and began reading it aloud.

"Dear Akai…sorry, but I wanted a midnight snack…" Akai's voice began to grow heavier and heavier with each word. He sagged his shoulders in defeat as he read the final words. "Having said that, I ate everything. Teehee~ Sincerely yours, Neptune…?"

Akai just folded the piece of paper and pocketed it in his jeans, before opening the door of the refrigerator.

True to the note, all of the inventory had been cleaned out thoroughly. The only thing left was water, and only half a bottle of that was in there.

_Damn it…_ Akai just sighed and closed the door, and he walked out of the kitchen in a slump.

"Well…if I'm gonna go and get food for later, I'm going to have to go out and buy some ingredients." Akai muttered as he walked towards the bathroom. "Either way, I'm going to have to use the bath-"

The second thing was to find the Hero of Justice taking a shower in his bathroom.

In hindsight, it was probably wise to note that there was the sound of running water. And as Akai entered, he didn't realize immediately that there was steam filling the room that struck his face on the way in. Even as beads of sweat had formed on his face, he had walked in without fully processing it. And as he drew back the curtain on a whim, he found a fully nude

The two of them stared at each other, trying to understand what they were seeing, for a few moments.

"…" Nisa just gazed at him intently for a few moments, and then she looked down at herself for a moment. She looked back at him, and then back down at herself.

Without a word, Akai began walking backwards.

"Umm…" Akai muttered, his voice unsure. "…good morning?"

Nisa looked at him again, and this time, Akai could see tears in the corners of her eyes. Her face had reddened, from the bottom of the chin all the way up to the tip of her ears.

Her hands immediately covered her important parts, and she slammed the curtain closed.

And for a few heart-stopping seconds, no noise was made but the sound of the shower water hitting the floor of the bathroom.

Then, the shower water stopped.

A few more seconds of silence, and then Akai felt the atmosphere suddenly weigh a thousand more pounds.

Bloodlust.

_I'd better get out of here._

* * *

"So, Akai, if that happened, where did you get the food?" Aoi asked curiously, holding up the wrapped lunchbox in her hands. "And, now that I think about it, where did you get the lunchbox?"

"Thankfully, after that entire thing blew over, Histoire and IF came in and tore a carnivorous Nisa off of me before giving me some Credits. Apparently, they were the rewards due for me after completing the initiation for the guild." Akai replied, his voice tinged with gratefulness and relief, as he rubbed the top of his head which was bandaged heavily.

"You know, Nisa probably injured you enough to give you severe brain trauma. How is your brain still intact?" Aoi commented, floating upwards with an unexpected use of magic, and tapping the top of his head gently.

"Well, she did slam my head into the floor an innumerable amount of times." Akai admitted, forcing a pained smile as he tried not to let the memory invade his mind. The idea made his injured head throb, and he just ignored it. "Anyway, Neptune and Nepgear gave me some food from their fridge as apology, and Nisa bought some lunchboxes and kitchen utensils to apologize as well."

"I see." Aoi replied, humming happily as she floated back to the ground and began skipping alongside Akai.

She looked back to Akai, and suddenly he felt the entire world around him chill him with a piercing icicle. He glanced at her nervously.

"What's with this situation?" She asked, gesturing all around her.

The two of them had already left for the Guild and gotten her admitted, and had mysteriously been permitted in without the need for an initiation quest. They had taken on a Rank E quest, one to eliminate two Horsebirds. They were in the Virtua Forest, and it was already noon.

The Quest had been far too simple to call a Quest. With a single spell from Aoi and a single spell from Akai, the Horsebirds had been shot down before either could neigh for their uncle.

And while the two were sitting side-by-side and holding their lunchboxes in their laps, Neptune, Nepgear, Nisa, IF, Compa and even Histoire were surrounding them and talking amongst each other as if nothing were amiss.

"Well…" Akai trailed off, averting his eyes from Aoi's strangely intent gaze, trying to bring himself to ignore the hostile aura emanating from the little girl. "It was kind of hard to say no…"

"Well, I can't really blame you there." Aoi replied guiltily, as she just sighed deeply and began unwrapping the cloth around her lunchbox. She opened the box, and she gasped in surprise when her eyes met the contents.

Inside was a complete Japanese-style lunchbox courtesy of Akai's heritage. First, she snapped apart the disposable chopsticks and picked up a piece of sliced salmon.

As she put it in her mouth, Akai couldn't help but smile when he saw her eyes practically glow with delight.

"Wow! It's fresh, and it's warm! This is really good!" Aoi complimented, her voice loud with praise as she gobbled up the piece of raw fish greedily.

Next, she picked up the piece of cut hotdog unskillfully with her clumsy chopstick-handling skills and eyed it hungrily as the steam wafted from the skin invitingly. When she placed the bite-sized piece of meat in her mouth, it elicited a squeal of appreciation and delight.

"Akai, teach me how to make food this good! Actually, make food with me! No, make me food every day!" Aoi replied, her fingers ready to devour the rest of the lunchboxes.

"Hey, no fair!" Neptune suddenly exclaimed, pointing her finger at Akai and Aoi. "We didn't even start yet, and you two are just teasing us with how good your food is!"

"Neptune…" Akai replied. "You have absolutely no right to complain when you ate all of the food in my fridge."

"Well, I can't really deny the legitimacy of that statement…" Neptune confessed as she lowered her finger. "But still!" She pointed her finger again, this time with more emphasis and energy. "You are eating when we aren't! That is a crime of friendship!"

"Neptune, please don't bother Akai too much." Nepgear said, trying to keep Neptune from exhausting the boy too early. As she patted her older sister on the shoulder, she began unwrapping her own lunchbox.

"Whoa, since when did you have a lunchbox?! As expected of my capable little sister!" Neptune cried out as she immediately switched her focus from admonishing Akai to drooling over the about-to-be-opened lunchbox.

"Save the saliva for digestion, Neptune." IF commented, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Yeah, Neppy. The food will get cold if you don't." Compa added on, smiling, as she fished out another rice ball and chomped on it.

"Everyone's telling me to shut up! Waaaaaahh!" Neptune wailed, and she buried her face into Nepgear's ample breasts. "Hold me, Nep. Jr!"

"Okay, okay." Nepgear replied, smiling as she patted the top of her head like a cat, sneaking a bite of her food as she did.

"Your hands must be full most of the time." Akai commented with a sly grin as he opened his own lunchbox and split his chopsticks.

"Oh, before I forget." Nepgear suddenly said as if she had remember something important, and she bowed slightly. "Thanks for going out of your way to make our lunch today, Akai."

The minute the words left her mouth, Neptune immediately extricated herself from her sister's bosom and stared at the food, and then Akai. "Wait, you made this?"

"Yeah." Akai muttered, sticking a hotdog in his mouth. "I figured that you guys would get hungry, so I made everyone their portions for lunch today. You're coming with me even though you don't have to, so I do owe you this much."

"Wait, Compa! You didn't make these?!" IF exclaimed as she beheld the sandwich in her hand.

"No, I didn't tell you?" Compa replied, maintaining her smile as she took another bite out of the sandwich in her hands. "Akai made these for everyone who would be coming along."

"…wow." IF replied, almost speechless as she glanced back down at the bread in her hands. "Well, it did seem better than your usual cooking…"

"Hey, that's mean!" Compa replied sadly as she lightly punched IF on the arm. "Even if it is better than mine."

"Whoa!" Everyone turned to stare at Neptune, whose expression of utter amazement was priceless beyond compare. She had taken a single bite of the rice balls, and was just staring at the food with her jaw to the floor.

She slowly picked up a piece of hotdog, lifting it as if it were a very precious gem or the secret to life, and then delicately placed it into her mouth.

She remained seated like that throughout the entire chewing process, looking like she had stumbled upon the kingdom of Atlantis or the Fountain of Youth.

And as she swallowed, she looked down at the box, and then looked slowly at Akai.

"…you are the only one allowed to cook for me from now on." Akai, seemingly unsurprised by the sudden statement, just shrugged and laughed slightly.

"…you seem awfully okay with that, don't you?" IF interjected, shooting a look at Akai.

"Well, I mean, I do live there. Guess I gotta earn my keep in more ways than one." Akai said with a resigned tone and another shrug. "Besides, I don't mind. She's living in the same room, anyway, so I gotta-"

IF suddenly appeared agitated the minute Akai said that, her eyes widening in what looked like more than mere shock.

"…she's living with you?" IF asked, her voice edged with an emotion Akai wasn't sure how to describe. It seemed deadly, but also quite innocent.

"…uh, yeah. I remember she said something about staying in my room since it was better than hers, and then she just started visiting me more and more. If I remember correctly, she's already started putting most of her stuff into boxes to carry to my room." Akai said, looking at Neptune for confirmation.

"Neptune is moving in! That's a guarantee!" The girl in question nodded and cheered gleefully. "Now I can get god-level food every day for the rest of my life! Yippee!"

"Big Sis! Why didn't you tell me?!" Nepgear complained, clinging onto her older sister cutely.

"I'm sorry, Nep. Jr, but the opportunity to see something fun happen was too good to pass up! Besides, our old room was getting stuffy. Too much work related stuff in there." Neptune replied, and everyone could feel the irritation pouring out of Histoire at the words.

"Neptune, need I remind you that you do not do work at all?" Histoire seethed, her vein already visible on her forehead.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted drastically as Akai placed his hand on the top of Histy's head. It changed from one that Neptune would've run away with all her life from to one that felt much more relaxed and soothing.

"Histy, I told you not to stress yourself too much." Akai seemed to comfort her slowly, and Histoire slowly began to unwind. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, and then she patted the top of Akai's hand as a gesture for him to remove it. He did so, and they smiled in what looked like an unspoken agreement before returning to their food.

"In any case, the Quest's been done and ready to be handed in, so nothing should go wro-"

Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched whine cut Akai off. He stood up, his eyes sweeping everything surrounding him for the source of the noise.

The loud crash of the trees sent his eyes in that direction, and he saw a Plaid Dolphin slowly floating towards the group.

"…does this happen often?" Akai asked the rest of the girls as he stepped forward, a katana materializing in his hand.

"Sometimes." IF replied as she stood up and drew out her Qatars. "It doesn't happen very often though, and they can't do a thing as long as you're careful."

"Well, then that's the cue for a pre-emptive strike, don't you think?" Akai asked, his voice suddenly playful, as he suddenly dashed at the monster without warning.

The Plaid Dolphin groaned as he approached, but he didn't falter. As he approached it at the speed of a professional sprinter, it made a loud, aggressive noise and spun around to try and hit Akai with its tail.

Akai easily slid under the attack, and he planted the katana into the ground, stopping him right in front of the creature. He rose back upwards, delivering a solid uppercut that sent the mob sprawling backwards in a daze. "Aoi!"

"I'm on it!" The little girl cried out as she whipped her staff out, pointing it at the monster and narrowing her eyes in concentration.

A blue light suddenly illuminated at the end of her staff, and a blue magic circle appeared below the creature. Instantly, ice suddenly erupted and coated the creature's lower body, anchoring it to the ground and rendering it immobile.

"Thanks!" Akai shouted out as he closed in, and he delivered two more blows with his fists to the Dolphin's head. It cried out in pain and tried to escape, but the ice held it fast. As it struggled, the crystals began to crack and crumble.

Drawing another katana, Akai closed in and delivered another blow to the Dolphin's torso, and it screamed in agony. It wriggled again, and this time the ice crystals holding it in place shattered completely.

Akai performed a somersault, slashing the Plaid Dolphin's upper body as he did, and he landed on the other side of the monster. Spinning on his heel, he performed a roundhouse and sent the beast flying backwards into the dirt.

The dolphin roared in what sounded like anger, and it rushed Akai viciously.

"Akai!" IF shouted in worry, but Akai just smiled at her with a wink of thanks before holding his hand out.

A red light suddenly emerged from the space in front of Akai, and a staff materialized out of thin air.

Histoire immediately reacted, analyzing the situation.

…_so he can summon whatever weapon he wants? _She thought, pushing her spectacles up farther onto the bridge of her nose.

With a cry, he extended the staff outwards towards the oncoming creature. Flames immediately poured out and bathed the hostile mob in dancing fire, and it floated backwards in shock.

Akai leaped upwards, onto the shoulders of the creature, and planted the staff into its back. Immediately, lightning arced into the Dolphin's body, and Akai then leaped back to the ground and then smashed the bottom of the staff into the ground.

Beckoned by the impact, a massive comet of dirt rose from the ground in front of Akai, and he sent it flying towards the Dolphin with a wave of the staff. The Plaid Dolphin let out a pained cry of agony as the meteor of earth smashed into it.

As it crashed into the bushes violently, it let out a cry of anger and pain before it landed somewhere out of sight.

"Is that it?" Akai asked, dematerializing the sword in his hand as he walked back to the group of girls.

"Hmm…Well, it didn't look like it could take that barrage for very long. Maybe it ran away. More importantly…" Histoire began, floating up to Akai's eye level and peering at him closely. "Since when could you use magic so well?"

"Well, I did read some of the books that Aoi had found. Though I'm sure I'm mediocre…" Akai replied shyly, rubbing the back of his head like a bashful middle school student.

"No way in hell that your magic is mediocre, Akai." IF replied, her expression digging deep holes into Akai. "That was magic on a higher level than most magic scholars in Lowee."

"Is that the case? I guess the book was a very informative one, then." Akai replied, smiling as if he were humoring her before sitting back down next to the picnic basket. "Now, shall we return to lunch?"

Everyone just stared at him as if what he was doing was completely unprecedented and strange.

"…really, you're insane." IF muttered, laughing a bit as she sat back down, this time next to him. "Oh, by the way, I'll be transferring to your group alongside Aoi. I'm bringing Compa with me, as well."

"Oh, are you?" Akai replied. "Are you on Guild orders? Or is Histoire telling you to watch me?"

"No, um…that's…" IF looked away, a little too embarrassed to say.

"She made the decision on her own, Akai. We aren't acting on Guild orders, or Histoire's for that matter."

"Hey, Compa!" IF exclaimed, flustered, as she smacked her on the back of her head lightly.

Aoi just looked at the two of them, her face unchanging and blank. Akai, glancing subtly at her, placed his hand on her head.

"Shall we head home? We can go and play the games that Neptune just had installed."

Aoi just nodded silently, placing her hand onto his and then holding it tightly.

* * *

But that didn't explain why, while Akai and Aoi were playing video games, Compa and IF were placing boxes into their room.

"…what are you doing?" Aoi asked out of curiosity, and IF stood up and wiped her sweaty forehead.

"Moving in. What else does it look like?" She replied, as if it were matter-of-fact, and Aoi just shot her a bewildered look.

"No…why?" Aoi replied, and IF just took a deep breath, stretched, and then looked back at her.

"Well, we need to be close in order to talk about operations and stuff. We'll also be sharing things like rewards and stuff, and it's easier for things to be done if we just stay like this." IF explained, but Aoi just sighed and shook her head before walking back to the floor cushion and sitting back down.

"Did he bait you with his cooking? Neptune came earlier when we got back, and Akai had to send her back to her room with a serving of extra-large steak."

"Well, I'm sorry." Akai retorted, grinning. "It's not like she'd stop if I'd said no. And if I did, she'd just bother someone else. Stop the cycle while it's still at the root, right?"

"With that as his excuse." Aoi replied, making a sound of disgust, before sitting back down and unpausing the game. Sounds of gunfire and explosions suddenly came on loudly.

"What are you playing right now, anyway?" IF asked curiously, walking over to Aoi.

Aoi just sighed and turned back to her, and she gestured towards the screen.

"Call of Duty. What other game would involve this kind of gore and violence?" Aoi replied, and she performed a precise headshot as she said so. The game ended right there and then, with her name just below Akai's.

"I win this one." Akai said playfully, and Aoi just pouted.

"IF distracted me!" She complained, and IF just shot her a look before walking back to the boxes.

"Anyway, Compa and I will take the couches for the night." IF suddenly took a step back in surprise when Akai abruptly stood up.

"No." He replied vehemently. "I'll take the couch. You guys sleep with Aoi in the master bedroom."

"We can't do that." IF shook her hands in refusal. "We're the guests here, and-"

Akai simply placed his hand onto IF's shoulder, and she stiffened at the contact.

"No. I can't have guests sleeping on the couch. You guys stay in the bedroom. I'll take the couch."

With that, Akai patted her on the shoulder before he turned and walked towards the bedroom.

"…" IF just stood there, staring in a daze at Akai's shrinking form before shaking her head and walking back to her boxes.

…_I want to tell him, but…_

* * *

"Neptune, I need to tell you this now."

"What, Histy? I need to start unpacking the last of the boxes and set up my part of the room. I can't afford to waste time, since Akai's got some leftovers in the-"

"…Akai's power is linked to the Sharicite."

"Whoa. How's that work?"

"I don't know yet. I'm still analyzing it, but I have yet to be thorough."

"…oh, like those times when you tell me to be thorough in the shower."

"At any rate, Akai may prove to be more dangerous than I imagined. I suggest you don't get too close to him, Neptune."

"…I'm hungry. I'm gonna go check on those leftovers."

"Neptune, don't just go off on your own! Listen to me!"

"Don't worry! I'll bring some food back for you, too!"

"Neptune!"

* * *

**A week later…**

"So…how much Credits does that make?" IF asked, leaning forward.

"Hmm…" Compa fingered the bills in her hands, sifting through them at a lightning fast pace. "Around…300,000."

"That's way more we get in five days!" IF exclaimed happily as she reached out for the bills and stashed them in her coat pocket. "We'll be set with this for a while!"

"Actually, I have a question." Akai stated as he came out of the kitchen with four plates on his arms and one on his head. He walked towards the girls in the living room, Aoi trailing behind him with five glasses floating around her head and a pitcher of iced tea in her hand.

"What might that be?" Neptune asked as she suddenly dropped from a random point of the ceiling and took a seat on the couch. "Is it about how the author's been getting slower at releasing updates?"

Akai ignored the nonsensical statement and began placing the plates onto the low table, and then sat down on the couch with the plate on his head balancing perfectly.

"How does that _inventory _thing work? You guys have some sort of pocket dimension for everyone or something?" Akai asked curiously, taking a glass out of the air and pouring his share of iced tea.

"Well…it's kind of hard to explain…" Neptune thought, letting out a groan as if she were in deep thought, and then she pointed towards the door. "Well, with that as the question, I'd like to spend my question."

"A game show, now?" IF replied, grabbing her plate. "Oh, curry this time?"

"Yeah. Anyway, who're you going to ask?" Akai replied, taking a bite out of his food as he looked at Neptune.

"I call on…Histy!" She replied, dashing out of the door and, within the next minute, dragging the little fairy-like woman behind her.

"Well, it's not like she was going to call on anyone else." Akai commented with a grin. "So? What's the explanation?"

Histoire looked bewildered, like she had no idea what was going on, but she cleared her throat anyway and began. "The inventory is a system developed centuries ago by an unknown developer. The inventory system relies on a method of cataloging all existing items into a set of numbers. When a person places an item into their inventory, the item is then digitized into a virtual copy which is stored into the person's brain. The mental command to summon a weapon or take an item from the inventory is recorded in the same numerical language, and is then used to perform the command to materialize the item in question."

"Is that how it works?" Akai asked, wonder and appreciation in his voice. "Interesting."

"Actually, since that's been gone and said, I think you deserve to know what your true abilities are."

Akai narrowed his eyes at Histoire, and the atmosphere instantly shifted into something a little more serious.

"Yeah? Watcha got for me?" He asked, taking a sip out of his glass before staring at Histoire intently.

His gaze, intent and focused as it was, made even the Oracle feel a little uncomfortable.

"Well…we performed an analysis on the very microscopic remains of the drug in the syringe and found that it is capable of destabilizing the part of a person's brain where the information regarding the inventory is held. It changes the numerical and genetic coding into a different format where the code is no longer capable of telling apart what you don't have and what you already have in your inventory. It has also rewritten parts of your genetic code and your body structure, making you stronger and faster in many different ways." Histoire informed, her finger waving about like a teacher's as she spoke.

"…so, if that's the case, then I can potentially pull whatever I want out of the inventory. And I can also fight people ordinarily stronger than me." Akai nodded, seeming to follow the flow of the conversation whilst everyone else just stared at them, lost.

"That's right. It's still capable of storing the information of the items you already possess. However, it cannot distinguish the difference between what you already have and what you don't, for some reason." Histoire added, her hand moving her spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

"Whoa, how'd you get glasses that small? In fact, since when did you start wearing glasses?" Breaking the atmosphere, Akai leaned really close, nearing Histoire's face as he marveled at her lenses.

"Wai-what are you-"Histoire pushed his face away, with her hands, her face reddening and her voice panicked.

"Oh, sorry. Your glasses just interested me too much for a moment." Akai admitted, embarrassed, laughing.

"I wear these occasionally, when I need to concentrate. Anyway…" Histoire cleared her throat before continuing, trying to rid her face of any remaining blush. "You also know of 'skills', correct?"

"Yeah." Akai nodded, taking another spoonful of curry and rice. "They're like super-powerful attacks with scripted movements."

"Yeah, they're kinda like that." Neptune commented, nodding in agreement as she finished her plate of food.

"There is another domain within the brain that handles skills, cataloging the information in the same type of numerical language as the inventory. So-"

"I can see where this is going." Akai cut her off as he stood up, and he took Neptune's plate from her and walked back into the kitchen. His voice echoed as he walked throughout the kitchen, gathering Neptune's second round of food. "Since the information is near-identical in what language is used to store it in, and the drug messes up with the electronic language anyway, the domain handling my skills is also unable to function as it should." He came back to the low table, handed Neptune her plate, and then sat back down across Histoire.

"Yes. That is entirely correct. But while your inventory can indiscriminately generate items as you please, the portion regarding skills is a little more mysterious to me. I have not been able to decipher it as is. For now." Histoire confessed sadly, seeming defeated, as she took a small spoon out of her hand and swiped a small spoonful from Neptune's almost-clean plate. "I will get back to you when I gather more infor- you really are good at cooking, aren't you?" Histoire placed the food in her mouth, and her eyes shone with respect.

"Well, good or not, I'm pretty much cooking for everyone now. Ever since some of the Basilicom staff members tried my food, they've been asking me to teach them how to cook as well." Akai sighed, hanging his head backwards as he rested his back on the couch. "It's all too much to handle when I have to cook most of the time."

"Well, you really know how to cook well." Compa complimented him with a smile. "I've never tasted curry this good, not even when I was invited to a fancy feast in Leanbox."

"Thanks, I guess." Akai thanked Compa with a returned smile. "Well, with you as our medic and IF as our CQC and reconnaissance, Quests have become a breeze. I have to cook like this, or I'm not much in way f contribution."

"Not really." IF replied with a closed eye. "If you look back, you've really been the one who's been leading this group."

"Well, if you put it that way…" Akai stood up and began collecting the empty plates. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to start practicing my powers now that I know what to do with them.

"Will you be heading to the training area in the Basilicom? We have a system to digitally recreate monsters that can be sparred with. That, or you can spar with someone." Histoire asked him while floating upwards to meet his shoulder level.

"Maybe. Though no one will spar with me now." Akai replied, laughing.

"…I'll head up with you."

IF stood up, looking away. She walked to the door quickly, without waiting for Akai.

"Hey, wait!" Akai cried out in reply, slipping as he dashed towards the open doorway. Steadying himself on the door frame, he quickly righted himself and dashed down the hallway.

"Well, he went and left. Can someone help me clean the dishes here?" Aoi said out loud, gesturing to the rest of the girls sitting around the low table.

"You will behold my ultimate cleaning technique, capable of killing 99.99% of germs!" Neptune exclaimed, dashing into the kitchen wielding a pair of sponges.

"Neptune, you're going to make a mess again! The last time you tried that, you set the plates on fire!" Nepgear wailed, running into the kitchen as well.

Histoire just sat back down on her tome and floated upwards. "Well, I have work to do," she said, stretching her arms and placing her glasses in her pocket. She exited through the door, leaving Compa alone to stare at the door wordlessly.

…_will you tell him now? _Images of IF flashed through Compa's mind when they had talked to each other throughout the past week.

"Compa! Help! I don't even know how, but Neptune's sending sparks flying from the plates!" Aoi's cry of help rang from the kitchen.

"Neppy! You'll break the plates!" Compa cried as she stood up and ran into the kitchen as well.

* * *

"…so? Mind telling me why we're in town?" IF asked, crossing her arms.

"Well…" Akai laughed uneasily. "Thing is, there's one more job I have to do. It pays a lot, and I don't know if I'll find another one like it. But it's too dangerous, so I decided to leave Aoi behind for this one."

The pair were now walking side-by-side in the heart of the Planeptune city metropolis. People of all ages and kinds were walking past them, some in business suits and others in casual wear.

"So?" IF asked, sidling closer to Akai and poking him with her finger. "What kind of job is this?"

"…it's a job sanctioned by the local authorities. The police force." Akai admitted, his eyes cast down at the pavement. "It's a job to hunt down the last remaining member of a local gang responsible for several kidnappings, robberies and harassment in the capital."

IF's eyes narrowed like a wolf's. "This kind of stuff can even in the capital, huh? Idiots."

"I figured the theme of the Quest was too mature for Aoi, so I decided to do this myself. And now that I know what my abilities can do, I thought I might let myself loose. But since you're with me, this should be even easier." Akai said, flashing a smile of relief at IF. "Thanks for coming along. I feel a little safer, now."

IF averted her gaze, trying not to meet his eyes. "I-it's not like I came here for your sake or anything! You can do anything on your own, anyway! It's not like you need me here!"

"But I want you here."

IF turned back to stare at him, and Akai was just gazing at her while walking at the same time.

"Even if I don't need you to protect me, two's better than one. And besides, just because I don't need you, nothing says that you have to stop being around." Akai said with a tone so matter-of-fact that it struck straight to IF's core.

_Damn it! Don't use those lines on me! _She wanted to scream, but her mouth wouldn't even let her. It was still reeling in the aftershock Akai's effective words.

"…now that I think about it, we're already where we need to be." Akai said, and IF snapped out of her flustered daze to look around.

The buildings were different now. Unlike the modern ones bustling with people, the white and purple buildings were grey and looked old. Some of the dull white walls had graffiti of all sorts sprayed onto them, and the older looking buildings even had some broken windows.

"I guess a part of town like this exists in every world, huh?" Akai muttered in a low voice as he walked forward, observing the people around. The men glared at him, and the few women walked past as quickly as they could without sprinting.

"Yeah. Even a world with the CPUs still has to face the crap humanity has to offer." IF replied, shooting a disgusted glance at some of the men. They just winked grossly at her, and she just looked away with an even more disgusted expression.

"I hear these guys are the final batch of criminals, and they've just been biding their time ambushing-"

"Mmpgh!"

Suddenly, IF let out a muffled sound of strangulation, and Akai immediately spun around in a fighting stance.

IF was being held by a man wearing a full bullet-proof vest and padded clothing. Over his head, he wore what looked to be a standard-issue grey soldier helmet, and his face was being camouflaged with a mask that looked like a skull's face. His right hand was covering IF's mouth, and his left hand kept her arms knotted together, rendering her unable to fight back. She was kicking him in the shins, and Akai could even hear the solid thumps, but they seemed to have no effect.

"I see someone already sent a request after me, huh? But it's just a bunch of teenagers. Ha!" The man smirked and laughed, and he tightened his grip on IF. She whined in pain.

"Let her go." Akai's voice was calm, despite the situation, and he took a combat stance across from the man.

The criminal just laughed spitefully.

"Do you think anyone actually does what someone says in situations like this? You're just like those idiots in the movies!" He snickered, and Akai felt his eyebrows furrow even further.

_Okay…so if I'm supposed to pull things out of the air as if they were in my inventory…then, do I do this?_

And Akai drew out a minigun.

"H-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The man suddenly screamed in panic, and he grasped IF tighter. She let out a muffled yell of pain, and Akai just clenched his teeth.

"I suppose it'd be messy if I used this…" Akai traded it out for a steel bow. "With this, I can send your body flying and pin it head-first to the NepTower. After all, bringing your body back should be fine with all of the offences you've committed."

"…tch." The man tossed IF aside and dashed towards Akai, drawing a combat knife.

"You seem trained." Akai commented, ducking under the attack and immediately getting in between him and IF. "Those aren't the movements of an ordinary delinquent. I've dealt with a lot of those back when I was Student Council President."

"Shut up!" The man hissed as he slashed at Akai, who merely stepped aside and dodged the attack. He performed an outwards kick, sending the man back a few meters but still standing.

"You're moving more like those men I fought before." Akai's eyes suddenly became more wolfish and bloodthirsty than before. "It won't do for you to be around much longer. And you've injected some kind of drug into IF, haven't you?"

"Huh?" IF stared at Akai. "What are you talking abou-"

"He injected you with a thin syringe about as thin as a sowing needle. Over on your left thigh. I saw him do it." Akai said, pointing with his eyes momentarily.

IF looked down, and she saw a very tiny drop of blood oozing out of a miniscule wound on her left thigh. She touched it, and realized that she felt nothing.

"Akai! My leg's going numb!" IF cried out, her voice panicky.

"You used poison. A little cliché, but potent nonetheless." Akai simply whispered, his voice edged with fury as he sidestepped another slash. "I'm not going to let you off with an easy death."

Akai held out his hand, and suddenly the man widened his eyes in shock as a massive, two handed sword the size of its wielder was whipped out of thin air.

"Dammit!" The man cursed, and he began running back towards the main plaza.

"You fell for it." Akai muttered, grinning as he dematerialized the sword and brought out a sniper rifle. As he took aim, he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

Instantly, the man fell down onto the pavement.

"Hey!" Akai immediately felt a tug on his shoulder, and he saw IF on the cement below him on her knees. "Why did you-"

"I didn't kill him. Rubber bullet right in the base of his neck." Akai replied before crouching down and examining IF's leg. "…if we leave this, chances are that it'll course through the rest of your body and paralyze your lungs."

"What do we do?" IF replied, trying to remain calm.

"Hmm…" Akai put his hand to his chin. "…maybe like those nature documentaries and suck the poison out before it-"

That particular slap sent Akai flying a meter away, his head buried into the cement brutally.

"No joking around, please. I'm trying not to panic." IF complained, holding a fist up.

"Got it, got it. Here, an Antidote."

"…wait, where did you…?"

"I can get anything now, remember?"

"…true."

"Now, hurry up, we have to drag that guy back to the police station and collect the money."

"Well, that was a pretty eventful Quest, wasn't it?" Akai commented with a grin, running his fingers over the wad of bills in his hands.

"Yeah, haven't had one like that in a while. It's already nightfall, too. I'm getting hungry." IF replied, stretching her arms.

True to her words, the metropolis had lit up to a livelier nighttime city-like place. The buildings surrounding them were now flashing and blinking with neon-bright light, and even the skyscrapers shone brightly in the starlit sky.

Unlike earlier, the streets were now buzzing and humming with human activity. People from all walks of life were strolling down the streets. Some old, some young, and all looked like they were enjoying themselves.

"Well, since I just got paid, and it's nighttime anyway, how about I treat you to dinner?" Akai offered, shoving the money in his pocket before anyone would see the unusually large stack of Credits and assume he'd robbed someone.

The suggestion set off fireworks in IF's chest.

_Wai-what?! Calm down, he's just being nice! It's not like he means anything by it! _

"Um…sure." IF replied, keeping her eyes rooted to any spot that wasn't Akai.

"Alright! Let's head to a restaurant and eat like crazy!" Akai exclaimed, raising his hand up in the air.

But IF's head was already throbbing and dizzy from her thoughts, racing back and forth.

_I've only known him for a week, but there's just something about him…_

_He's strong, he's smart, he's kind, he's fun, and he's polite. Is…is that why when I try to talk to him, I feel as though I admire him?_

_He's a boy…I feel like I'm more aware of that than I am of everything else…_

_Is it his handsome face? _

_Is it his strong body? _

_Or…is it something else?_

_Those…strangely sad eyes?_

_Like someone I can't leave alone? _

A clenching, tightening feeling in her chest. As if a python had coiled tight around her whole being.

A thrumming, painfully fast and hard heartbeat. As if a professional boxer were smashing away at her ribcage.

A heat that went to her head and filled her whole body. As if the world had let global warming go too far.

_Is it just because I'm a girl that I'm attracted to a guy? _

_I've only known him for week, but I can't really bring myself to stay away from him. _

_Why? _

"Hey, IF. Wanna just go for some pizza? Or would you like to try the fancy restaurant across the street?" Akai offered with a smile, and IF looked at him as if the entire thing were a dream.

"Hey, Akai."

"Yeah."

"…I think I like you."


	14. Chapter 13: One After the Other

**Chapter 13: One After the Other**

"…"

_What the hell am I saying to him?!_

IF, now in the most frantic and panicked daze she'd ever experienced in her life, had absolutely no idea how to proceed. While she was trying to speak, her eyes still absolutely refusing to meet his.

If she locked eyes with him, IF felt that her heart would give out completely.

Akai had stopped walking to look at her, and was now silent. IF refused to look at him, so she couldn't see if he was really looking at her or not. However, she could feel the sensation of discomfort racing throughout her veins, and the sensation of a stare piercing into her very being was only burning her up even more.

Not that her body was already doing the trick. Her blush had reached a level so visible it was almost comical.

If one were to place an ice cube to her cheek, there was a very real chance it would emit steam and begin to melt.

_Why did I say that?!_

IF wasn't sure. She had let it out before she had even realized it.

…_but…argh, I can't even think! _

"…" Akai looked at her, his expression the same as it had been before she had blurted it out. She felt her chest pounding away as if a jackhammer were directed right at it. Sweat was accumulating on her forehead as if she were in the tropics, and her nerves were shot.

"…what was that? I didn't hear that."

Akai's words stopped IF's blood in her veins dead cold.

_He didn't…hear me? _IF felt her heart drop in her chest, weighing a thousand pounds. The shock had struck her like a cannonball, and she couldn't do anything but stand in place.

It was already noisy in the entire boulevard. People were still walking past them, minding their own business as if nothing were amiss. The droning background sound of cars driving by and the distracting steps taken by the passersby only served to create the stereotypical city noise that kept IF's voice from reaching Akai.

"What did you say? I didn't quite hear it." Akai repeated, his kind smile almost painful for IF's eyes. He drew closer to her, which only made her that much more flustered, and he reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "There's too much noise, I'm sorry."

IF just looked at him, unsure of what to say.

"…it's nothing. Pizza, right?"

* * *

_And so he leaves me here to do the dishes and handle our new roommate all on my own? _Aoi thought bitterly as she sighed deeply, exhausted.

She tucked in the bedsheets covering the CPU of Planeptune, who was snoring loudly enough to piss off a tiger. Beside her, the CPU Candidate was slumbering quietly.

How she remained asleep through the landslide of a snoring problem remained a mystery.

Aoi tiptoed quietly out of the room, quietly closing the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and exhaustion, and then began walking towards the kitchen.

"Are the rest asleep?" Compa asked. She was still in the kitchen, fixing up the rest of the plates.

"Yeah." Aoi nodded casually, getting onto one of the chairs and grabbing one of the plates from the rack. "Took them forever. But I'm surprised that it took so little time to calm Neptune down."

"Yeah." Compa nodded in understanding as she began stacking plates on top of one another. "She actually burns out. I was surprised when I found out."

"Well, she is a bundle of energy." Aoi returned, making a motion with her finger. Instantly, the remaining plates floated onto one another to create a perfect stack. It moved to hover next to Aoi's head, and she got down from the chair. As she began to approach the shelf, Compa hefted the stack of plates and began walking alongside her.

Aoi waved her hand as she stopped in front of the shelf, and the plates moved to rest neatly onto one side of the shelf. She motioned with her head, and the other stack of plates rose out of Compa's hands, who squealed as the plates landed safely next to the first stack.

"Did Akai say when he would be back?" Compa asked, turning to the Doggo-girl next to her.

Aoi just shook her head. "No, he didn't say-"

The sound of the door opening silenced her, and the two immediately turned their heads to the doorway. As they walked to the kitchen entranceway, they could see Akai standing in the doorway.

"Sorry we're late." Akai said, a touch of mock remorse in his voice, as he held up a plastic bag. "We got some takeout from a pizza place."

"Where's…?" Compa saw IF's leafy bow poking out from behind Akai's shoulder. "Oh. IF?"

"…" Without a word of response, IF just walked past them and into the bathroom. The door slammed shut, and Compa just looked in her direction worriedly.

"Did something happen?" Aoi asked, concerned. Her big eyes stared up at Akai in pure _little-sister _fashion.

Akai just smiled and patted her on the top of her head. "Nothing happened. We just went out to eat."

Akai then took out a piece of pizza from the plastic bag and held it out to her. Aoi just smiled and nodded, and took a bite out of the pizza before taking it in her hands.

He grinned before walking into the kitchen, holding the pizza box open for Compa to get from. "Here. As thanks for keeping the place intact while I was gone."

"Oh, thanks. You didn't have to…" Compa replied humbly, taking a single slice of pizza and taking a small bite out of the tip.

Akai just grinned and set the pizza on the table. "How are Neptune and-"

"I smell food."

Everyone turned around to see Neptune, her hair in disarray and her clothes unkempt. Her eyes were half-open, and they looked so sleepy it seemed like a miracle that she remained awake. As if she were a wild animal, she was standing there breathing heavily and bent over like a werewolf.

"At least clean yourself up before you ask for the food." Akai asked, laughing as he pushed the box of pizza lightly towards the seemingly-crazed girl.

"One does not require cleanliness in the pursuit of nutrition." Neptune replied, her extremely drowsy voice like that of a philosophical scholar. "I rest my case." She then delivered a piece of pizza into her mouth, practically swallowing after chewing once.

"Save some for your sister, alright? I'm going to get ready for bed now." Akai returned jokingly as he exited the room, heading to the bathroom.

But as he entered the bathroom, taking a pair of black pajamas and a black sleeveless undershirt from a drawer from the closet on the way, his mind was far from the world.

As he opened the sliding door to the shower and stepped inside, spinning the dial and letting the hot stream of water strike his body, he felt his heart constrict in his throat.

"…sorry, IF."

Guilt painted his voice.

* * *

**The next day…**

Akai groaned as he walked into the living room, stretching the sleep from his body. He walked through the entire floor's worth of a room to get his blood flowing and his eyes to widen, and then he walked into the kitchen.

"Gotta make breakfast…" He muttered sleepily, yawning once before he opened the fridge.

_What kind of jerk just ignores something like that?_

Akai felt his shoulders suddenly weigh a ton, and he felt a sigh escape his lips. His eyes slid over the food in the refrigerator

The air that came out of his mouth felt cold and unforgiving.

_She confessed to me. She confessed that she likes me. _

_But why? I haven't done anything to make her like me. And we've only known each other for a few weeks. _

…_she likes me? In what way? Does she like me as a man? Or as a friend? _

_And I'm going to ignore those feelings? What kind of scum does that make me? _

Akai felt his grip tightening on the metal door, and he tried his best not to slam the door shut. Closing it, he braced his hands on the countertop as his thoughts continued to drift dangerously.

…_I don't deserve those kinds of feelings. IF needs to find someone who can make her truly happy. I'm not that kind of person. _

_I'm just some lucky guy who ended up here. _

_People never cared about me on Earth. _

_I'm no one special. _

_I don't deserve someone like her. _

Akai felt his heart, frozen and beating nonstop, weighed a million tons. It was piled on with so much agony and guilt that it was beginning to spill out of Akai's eyes.

He took a shaky breath and wiped the beginnings of tears from his eyes and tried to calm himself down.

_IF can't like me like that. I have nothing to offer her. _

_It's not like she's really in love with me, right? _

…_love, huh? _

_It must be nice to have someone who really does love you for who you are. _

_My family wasn't like that. _

_My friends were nothing like that. _

Akai felt his vision getting blurry with tears again, and he tried to take a deep breath and get the emotion filling his chest out of his system. Leaning heavily on the counter, Akai wiped the tears out again.

Suddenly, the words of the woman in that unknown place came back to his mind.

"…through the heart and the mind…through love come full circle…" Akai muttered to himself, trying to think of something else that would get his mind off of the events of the previous night. "What does that mean?"

And just like before, he felt his head begin to get dizzy. His body began to feel warm once again, and the world began to blur like before.

And within a few minutes, he felt a dull thud hit his body in the back of his mind, which was already far away from the physical world.

He'd returned to that world of white.

"…I really need to stop coming here. And passing out. Both seem to be bad habits." Akai muttered to himself, irritable thanks to his emotional overload moments prior, as he took another look around.

"Should I take that as your decision? Or are you just thinking out loud?" A feminine voice, playful and teasing, spoke up behind Akai.

He turned around to face the owner of the voice.

In front of him was himself.

"…so you can even take my face?" Akai asked, as he adjusted to face the doppelganger standing across from him.

"I can change my form to become whoever or whatever I want." The duplicate replied, a sly smile on its face as it morphed into a Dolphin.

"Must be fun." Akai replied flatly, and the Dolphin just began to fly around him, soaring through the air smoothly.

"…I detect great guilt and pain in you." The feminine voice said, all hints of playfulness having left its voice. It sailed back in front of Akai and morphed into the silhouette of a woman.

Her skin looked like it was made of constantly shifting binary code, as if she had been taken straight from the Matrix.

"…your heart is in turmoil. Doubt fills your soul like water fills the seas." She said, though it was clear to Akai she did not know how to sound empathetic.

"Right. Nice to see you understand how to help people with their emotional problems." Akai replied, sarcasm dripping profusely from his voice.

"Bitter? Well, that should come as no surprise." The woman replied, and her hand slowly ran smoothly over Akai's cheek. It felt cold, yet had a strange sense of life to it.

Akai said nothing as he just traded stares with the eyeless humanoid, who began to circle him slowly.

"…you're going to cause yourself only grief with such poisonous thoughts. Just sifting through them is painful for me." The feminine being said, her voice tinged with what sounded like pity.

"Don't just go through my head without asking permission." Akai bluntly shot back, his tone almost hateful.

"…if these thoughts hold you back now, then it is clear that all of the hints I have provided you have done nothing." The woman changed again, this time into a mirror image of the last person Akai wanted to see: IF.

"Take another form." Akai demanded softly, his voice dangerously calm.

"I see you will not take lightly to this." She said in reply as she changed back into her first form: her likeness of Arfoire. "Even if you don't know how to feel about her, you still care deeply enough about her."

"If this is all you came to tell me, then you're just wasting my time." Akai replied, turning around and beginning to walk away.

Suddenly, he felt his body being yanked around. He turned in place and faced the woman again, who looked at him with her lips pressed against each other tightly as if she were considering doing something she didn't want to do.

But at the same time, she gave off the vibe of being ready to do something fun.

"…if you still can't figure it out after I give you this, then there's no saving Gamindustri." She took Akai's hand, opened it, and placed something inside it. She then closed his fingers around the object, mysterious light shining through the spaces in between each finger, and then lowered his arm back to his side.

"What did you-"

Just as Akai was about to speak, the woman then winked and then clapped her hands in front of his face.

When he blinked, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his room.

Akai just sat himself back and took a look around.

It was just his room.

"…damn." Akai muttered, getting to his feet. He felt a solid object in his right hand, where he had felt the mysterious woman place something before he had woken up.

When he opened his hand, he found a small vial.

It was made of glass, but it seemed as thick as bulletproof glass. It was very light, almost disturbingly so, and he hefted it in his hand. Inside, sloshing around, was a clear pink liquid.

…_what the hell is this? _Akai wondered as he held the vial in between his fingers and shook it. The liquid bubbled as it shook around, almost like a soda.

"…maybe I summoned something again without realizing it." Akai muttered, and he placed the vial into the kitchen counter. "Whatever. Now, what should I make for breakfast…?"

As he pulled the cupboard doors open and took out some pancake mix, he suddenly heard the sound of a door closing. Akai peeked out from the kitchen to see a sleepy Neptune walking his way.

"Morning. Is there something you want?" Akai asked her, but she walked past him without any acknowledgement of his presence.

_It's either she's hungry…or she's hungry. _

With that in mind, Akai sighed and pulled the refrigerator door open again.

"What do you want, Nep-"Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the floor alarmed him, and Akai turned to see Neptune lying down unconscious on the floor.

On the floor next to her laid the vial.

And it was empty.

"That idiot." Akai muttered, rushing to her side and lifting her body into his arms. He placed his fingers to her neck, and then placed it onto her forehead. "Well, she seems to be alive, at the very least."

Akai then raised her up and hefted her into the living room, placing her onto the couch. He walked back into the kitchen, picking up the vial and then placing it into his pocket.

_Hang on. _A thought suddenly occurred to him. _How does this 'inventory' thing even work?_

Akai pulled out the vial and then imagined placing it into a school locker in the air. As he did, the vial vanished into an array of pixels as he let go of it.

…_that is convenient._

Akai walked back into the kitchen, and then pulled the egg carton out of the fridge.

_Time to make some breakfast…_

* * *

"So, what happened to Neptune?" Aoi asked through a muffled voice as she stuffed the orifice with scrambled egg and pancakes.

"I don't know. She just collapsed after coming into the kitchen. Maybe she's tired, because she's definitely not overworked or anything." Akai responded, thinking better not to tell her about the vial.

"That doesn't sound like Neppy. She'd never collapse when she's out of energy." Compa replied doubtfully, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Yeah. She's more likely to start whining when she's tired. And besides, she's like a nuclear power plant." IF agreed, taking a slice of bacon from the big platter in the middle. "Well, how is she now?"

"Histoire and Nepgear took her to her room, though I'm beginning to think that she really is going to start living in my room anyway." Akai replied, sighing as he cut a pancake in half.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I've never seen an entire floor get turned into a single room." IF commented, sweeping her gaze throughout the kitchen.

The kitchen was very large, going by the standards of room sizes, and the living room was five times the size of that.

"…you know, a lot of people could end up moving in. You'll have to charge them rent or something, though." Aoi said, pouring herself another cup of orange juice.

"I don't really want to do that. This isn't really my room, it's just where I'm crashing. I'm the one paying the rent." Akai replied, taking another five slices of bacon.

"Well, if you think about it, you're the one who asked for the rent." Compa noted, swabbing up the last of her eggs and chomping down on it whole. "Histoire offered to let you stay here for free since it was on her demand, right?"

"Well, yeah, but it wouldn't be right for me to do that." Akai said, standing up and grabbing a pitcher of water from the refrigerator. "I'm the one living here, so I have a responsibility to-"

The sound of the main door being knocked on silenced everyone in surprise. Akai quickly stood up and walked to the door. With no peephole, all he could do was open it a little to see who it was.

"Excuse me." Nepgear stood on the other side of the door, and Histoire hovered above her head.

"It's a good thing I made breakfast for you guys. I had a feeling Neptune might come back, so you guys can take all the food you want." Akai replied, opening the door and making way for the two.

"Thank you." Nepgear bowed politely before walking inside, Histoire following suit, as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Compa greeted welcomingly through a mouthful of pancake, to which Nepgear just giggled.

"Good morning, Compa. Good morning, IF." Nepgear greeted as she pulled up an empty chair.

"Good morning to you two." Histoire greeted as well, floating onto the tabletop and dismounting from the tome.

"How's Neptune doing?" Akai asked as he strode back into the kitchen and grabbed two plates and two sets of utensils. He began to place some more eggs, bacon and pancakes on the plates.

"She's resting right now." Histoire said uneasily. "She's sleeping so deeply that we can probably run her over and she wouldn't wake up."

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Akai asked her, handing her plate to her as he spoke. He walked around her, placing Nepgear's plate in front of her.

"Well, I'm surprised that she collapsed in the first place." Histoire said, her voice edged with anxiety. "She's a very tenacious and stubborn girl, immune system included. She doesn't really catch sicknesses easily, and she's so energetic that she could probably power this city with a hamster wheel more efficiently than our generators."

"True." Akai chuckled. He took a sip from his glasses and leaned forward, his expression growing serious. "But if that's the case, does that mean you don't know why?"

"I'm afraid not." Histoire grumbled, pulling out her own personal set of utensils from her inventory and cut a miniscule piece of pancake. She delivered it her mouth, tilted her head, and then grabbed the nearby bottle of maple syrup.

Lifting it looked funny, since the bottle was almost more than half of Histoire's height. And as she almost stumbled, Akai just laughed placed his hand on Histoire's fingers.

"Let me." He said, smiling. Histoire, unsure of how to react, blushed, retracted her hand and held it close to her chest as she looked at him while he poured the syrup over the pancakes.

He closed the cap of the plastic bottle. "There, is that enough?" He gestured to the golden brown pancakes, now glistening with ropes of shining maple syrup laid out on the surface.

"Y-yes, thank you very much." Histoire replied gratefully before returning to her meal.

Aoi had been staring silently at the two the whole time as this happened, and a sly grin crept onto her face.

"Histoire, is there someone you like as a man?" Aoi asked innocently, and Histoire immediately choked on her pancake at the question She beat her chest hard, and then made for her glass of water. Gulping it down, she let out a breath of relief and inhaled deeply.

"Can I take that as a yes?" Aoi added on, trying not to laugh but failing miserably. Her wide grin only served to aggravate Histoire further, but the fairy-like woman turned the other cheek and continued to eat.

"Unfortunately, I am the Oracle of Planeptune. I have not the time for matters such as dating or love." She replied testily, and Akai just sighed.

"If you go with that mindset, than you really won't-"

"Aoi." Akai cut her off firmly, and Aoi just nodded feebly and went back to eating her food. Akai turned to Histoire and inclined his head slightly. "Sorry about that."

"No, you bear no responsibility at all." Histoire hurriedly replied, waving both of her hands in refusal.

Suddenly, the sound of knocking confused everyone.

"I'll get that." Akai announced, standing up again and walking out of the kitchen. Aoi peeked out of the kitchen door, staring at Akai as he walked to the front entrance.

Akai scratched the top of his head as he neared the door, and he froze when his hand was on the knob.

…_I'm getting a foreboding feeling here. _

A cold sensation was running down his whole body.

It wasn't detecting evil, malice or any kind of murderous intent.

But it was anxiety, nervousness and uneasiness instead.

Akai opened the door slowly. "Yes, who's-"

In front of him stood what looked like to be a perfectly normal Neptune.

Immediately, Akai knew something was off.

Neptune's face was beet red, and her eyes were sparkling like crystals. She looked like she had a fever, and her hair was still messy from getting out of bed.

"Neptune?" Akai asked, his voice raised and alert at the sight of what was supposed to be sick and asleep at his door. "Aren't you supposed to be-"

Akai was cut off by the sensation of something warm on his lips. His sight was buried in a sea of poofy lilac hair, and he felt his entire face was being to heat up.

He felt a pair of hands holding his face in place, and the feeling of a body sticking close to his at point blank.

It took him a moment to process it.

A moment too late.

"Sis!" Akai heard Nepgear squeal behind him, and he felt the world just explode around him with chatter and noise. He could hear everyone's voice gasping and exclaiming in excitement and surprise.

He tore himself away from her, pushing her away with his hands on her shoulders, and turned back to them.

Aoi, Compa, and Histoire both shared a look of complete shock on their faces.

But Akai didn't want to see IF's face.

It was full of surprise as well.

But he could see the hurt.

"Neptune!" He turned back to the purple-haired CPU, and he looked straight into her eyes. "What's with you? Why'd you-"

Suddenly, he was distracted by the sight of two long objects in the side of the entrance.

They were black locks of hair.

And standing, half-exposed, was a figure he knew all too well.

She had an inscrutable expression, something Akai couldn't really read instantaneously. She had one arm on the doorway, as if she were a child peeking around the corner. She was wearing a black and white dress, and had two blue ribbons keeping her hair up.

Her name was French for the color black, and she was the leader of Lastation, one of the four nations of Gamindustri.

"…am I interrupting something?" Noire asked, skeptical.

_Either this just got better or a whole lot worse. _Akai thought to himself.


	15. Chapter 14: Movement

**Chapter 14: Movement**

"Let's go over this again." Histoire said, her voice edged with anger, as she pinched the bridge of her nose before glaring at Akai again. "You passed out in the kitchen, woke up with a vial in your hand, left said vial on the counter, and then Neptune drank the liquid in said vial before passing out."

"Yes." Akai nodded.

The entire group had moved to the living room, everyone surrounding Akai, who was sitting on his knees on the floor. IF and Compa were sitting side by side on one couch, Nepgear and Noire on another, and Histoire stood on her floating tome above Akai.

"Honestly," Histoire sighed in exhaustion as she sat back down onto her tome with her legs dangling in the air. "You're smarter than this."

"Sorry." Akai bowed in remorse and apology, to show his reflection on his actions.

Neptune was also attached tightly to Akai, refusing to end her embrace around his body. She pressed herself closer, not saying a word, and Akai flinched.

"Well, it's not like all of the blame is on you." Histoire said reassuringly, floating down and placing her tiny hand on his shoulder. "Just never forget to be careful around Neptune."

"Yes, ma'am." Akai said, smiling at Histoire. She quickly retracted her hand and floated a small distance away from Akai, now on eye level with him.

"Um…" Everyone turned to Noire, who had raised her hand. "Someone please fill me in."

"Well…where to begin?" Nepgear wondered out loud, giving Noire an unsure smile.

"Let's see…for starters, you." Noire switched her attention to Akai, who sat up straight at Noire's piercing stare.

…_so this is the fearsomeness of the Lastation CPU. I can feel her reliability even from here. _Akai thought in awe.

"Yes? Is there something you want to ask of me?" Akai replied, his tone respectful.

"Well, to begin with, drop the polite language." Noire replied, a troubled smile on her lips. "I'd rather we talk on a more familiar level, even if I hardly know you."

"Well, um, sure." Akai replied, and Noire nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, give me the details. First of all, who are you? Why are you even here in the first place?" She asked, leaning her chin onto her hand and her arm onto her crossed leg.

It took ten whole minutes for the whole explanation.

"I see." Noire said in conclusion as Akai ended his story. "So? What's your relationship with this idiot?" Noire gestured to Neptune, who was still clinging almost desperately onto Akai.

"Well…" Akai said, his voice growing uncertain. "She's a friend of mine. We've gone on a few Quests, and she's moved to my room from hers for some reason a week or two ago."

"Hmm…So, what did you do to get this ditz like this? I've never seen anything like it before." Noire said, and Akai just scratched his head.

"Well…she drank something I accidentally made, and now she's like this." Akai replied.

"…let me see the vial you mentioned earlier." Noire said in reply, holding her hand out.

Akai dug into his pockets as best he could without upsetting the lilac-haired girl embracing his body and handed Noire the object. Noire then held it in her hand and then held it up to the light. She then looked all around it as if noting every inch and edge of the glass vial. After that, she tossed it back nonchalantly to Akai. He caught it very deftly, making sure not to move the rest of his body so that Neptune wouldn't do anything else.

Noire just pressed her finger to her temple and gazed intently at Akai. "There's nothing strange about the vial itself. It's the liquid itself that I'd like to examine. Do you think you can make another batch?"

Everyone else rose to protest.

"Noire, that's too dangerous of a risk!" Histoire cried out, her hands clenched indignantly.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Nepgear pleaded gently.

Compa nodded. "I think just having it around is a hazard. We don't know anything about it."

IF remained silent, not even saying a word.

"Well…even if I wanted to, I don't know how to do it again." Akai replied worriedly. "It just happened."

"…try it again. Do whatever you were doing at the time." Noire said, but Histoire floated in between Akai and the Lastation CPU.

"Noire, I will not permit it. This is-"

"And if we don't examine it more closely, how are we supposed to know what's wrong with Neptune?" Noire shot back, and the protests ceased. Everyone remained silent. Noire just sighed and leaned back into the couch.

"Noire's right." IF said, everyone turning to her. "I think that without taking the risk, we won't know what we need to do."

"…well, if you put it that way…" Compa trailed off, surrendering.

"…if it's for Neptune's sake, then I guess we don't really have a choice." Nepgear agreed, no objection left in her voice.

"Good." Noire replied, standing up from her seat. "First, we need to recreate the conditions in which the event happened. So, Akai, you'll have to go back into the kitchen and do whatever you were doing while thinking whatever you were thinking at the time."

"…well, if that's what we need, then I need to get Neptune off of me." Akai responded, glancing lopsidedly at the girl still hugging him stubbornly.

"…you do it. As much as we're going to be helping you, this is your problem." Noire replied, taking Compa and Nepgear by the arm and dragging them away with her to a distance further away.

"Wait, what are you-"Akai tried to ask, but Noire just continued on dragging the two girls into the nearby vacant room, leaving him with IF, Aoi and Histoire.

"…well, I think I need to get Gust to join us. With this new item we need to examine, it will help to have the Chief Executive of Item R&amp;D present." Histoire said, almost in a rush, as she floated upwards and away from Akai. She soared towards the door, which she opened with a wave of her hand, and then she flew out at a speed that Akai had never quite seen before.

Silence.

…_they just abandoned me. _Akai thought, mentally snorting in spite of himself.

"Hey, uh, Neptune? I need you to let go of me for a while…" Akai asked the girl, placing his hand onto her shoulder and, very lightly, tried to push her away.

"…date…" She muttered weakly in response, her voice so low that Akai couldn't hear.

"What?" Akai asked, getting closer to her so that he could hear her.

"…I'll let go if you promise to take me on a date later." Neptune said, finally raising her face for Akai to see.

If you could find someone who can blush redder than someone who looked akin to a cartoonish tomato, the narrator would dare you readers to try.

"…okay, okay. I will, so let go of me first." Akai said, trying to get Neptune to release her grip.

"Alright!" Looking as if she had won the lottery, Neptune suddenly did let go Akai and began jumping in place giddily. "I'll go get ready! Meet me in front at 5!"

With that, she raced out of the room as cheerily as she would have on any other ordinary day.

"…ugh, didn't expect that." Akai groaned, standing up. "Okay, I'll have to do this right…"

Akai walked into the kitchen for two reasons.

One was to start recreating the morning's events and see if he really could summon up that serum again.

The other was so that he didn't catch a glimpse of IF's face.

* * *

_So…how exactly do I do this?_

Akai was absolutely unsure of what to do.

Standing blank-faced in the kitchen did no good for him either. As he just eyed the ground as if it were more interesting than the world itself, he felt the cold air slide around his fingers.

Akai had no idea what to do.

"…it's not like recreating what happened earlier is that easy…" Akai muttered, scratching his head in frustration as he began to pace restlessly around the kitchen.

…_when it happened…what was I doing? _

"…I was making breakfast…I opened the fridge…" Akai thought out loud, striding over to the refrigerator and opening the door.

…_like opening the fridge is going to do anything for me…_ Akai delivered a punchline to himself as he pulled a bottle of grape-flavored sports drink from the fridge and popped the cap.

As Akai spent minutes walking aimlessly around the kitchen while sipping from his drink, his thoughts wandered from idea to idea, which were either unsuccessfully or rejected by the creator himself.

"Any luck?" Akai turned to see Noire standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her arms crossed and her face anxious.

"Not quite." Akai replied, sighing tiredly as he pulled up a chair and gestured for her to sit.

Noire smiled and thanked him with a nod, walking in and sitting down on it. "…maybe it would help for you to go back to what thoughts you were thinking at the time."

Akai just glanced at her as if she were telling a bad joke, but then he looked away and shrugged.

…_but…wasn't I was thinking about…?_

He felt the room suddenly get colder, and his sweat began to feel heavy. The slight breeze in the room was very chilly, almost like spikes buried in his nerves.

"…Akai? Is something wrong?" Noire suddenly asked Akai, and the question managed to distract him enough to get Akai to snap out of his gloom.

"N-nothing. Give me a moment." Akai said, mentally steadying himself as he thought back to the thoughts that had crossed his mind in the morning and had plagued him since last night.

Slowly, he felt the world around him vanish in front of his eyes. The kitchen flew away from his vision, replaced by the bustling street of the Planeptune metropolis from the previous night. The sound of the speeding cars and the sight of the twinkling stars in the dark yet majestic night sky.

Thoughts of IF, her face and her smile, raced through his mind. The scene of them together in the pizza place, smiling and laughing as they ate.

The sensation of a tug on his clothes, and the feeling in his chest when she had told him her feelings.

The immense weight in his heart when he had made the decision to pretend he didn't hear her.

The guilt that stacked onto his spirit and chained him down, making him feel like dirt not even worth spitting on.

…_it must be nice to have someone who does really love you for who you are…is what I thought, but it's not like thinking it again, no matter how I feel each time I say it, is going to change anything…_

Suddenly, Akai felt his mind growing heavy and the room suddenly feeling warm. Immediately, his eyes shot open in alarm and he placed his hand onto the kitchen table to prop himself up.

Akai looked down at his other hand to see a small orb of white light suddenly materializing and increasing in size within his palm.

For a moment, all was still as the object grew bright and brighter for seconds until the light faded so rapidly it was almost instantaneous.

In his hand, he held another glass vial filled with the liquid.

"…Akai?" Noire's voice seemed faraway and distant, but it was enough for Akai to turn to her.

"Yeah?" He asked, and he realized that his voice sounded detached. Blank.

Noire was gazing at him with a look that was a mix of bafflement and curiosity, and the two seemed to mix with some sort of empathy. She walked forward and held her hand out, and Akai placed the vial into her hand like a mechanical robot. His movements seemed wonky and heavy, as if they were now dead weight forced to move by his shoulders.

"…you should lie down in your room. I'll make sure the others don't disturb you. You can't go with Neptune on a date in your current state. A nap looks like it will do you some good."

Akai nodded and walked back to the room, closing the door softly behind him. He crashed into the bed, uncaring of everything else that was happening, and instantly drifted away into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Damn it!" A loud curse and the sound of a fist banging a table resounded around the room in an alternate dimension.

The person who'd made the curse sat back down into their seat, who happened to be an alternate Kei clothed in a black and blue trench coat. She bit her lip in what seemed like frustration and anger as she eyed her colleagues. "What else can we do?! We're going to die if this keeps up!"

The person sitting next to her, an alternate Mina dressed in a white and brown trench coat similar to Kei's, just sighed and placed her chin onto her palms. "…we haven't tried bringing him here yet, right Histoire?"

The Oracle in question, the alternate Histoire dressed in a dark purple mini-trench coat of her own, seemed to be lost in thought. She nodded in response to the question.

"We have not tried to bring the boy here, true. But as he is now, he will only die. The CFWs have grown far too powerful for the CPUs and CPU Candidates alone. He must become more powerful in order to defeat the CFWs and bring some sort of peace back to our Gamindustri." Histoire replied, sighing as she leaned back into her chair.

"Well, then why aren't we helping him right now?" The question came from the last Oracle seated near the Planeptune Oracle, a Chika in an olive and neon green trench coat with an uneasy expression on her face. "If we're really supposed to be helping him as much as possible, then we need to go over there and bring him back as fast as possible!"

Histoire just looked at her, her face dead serious. "You know as well as I do why we can't do that."

Mina leaned forward, her expression clearly concerned. "Chika…we can't leave those people behind. We promised to protect them."

"I know that." Chika replied in an irritated voice as she crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair that supported her. "But if we can get him here and help him realize his potential-"

"The CFWs killed millions of people on their way to the top, Chika." Kei interrupted, standing up and fixing her collar. "Even the CPUs and the Candidates. I'm sure you realize what I mean by this."

Chika said nothing, instead turning to the side and saying nothing. She stood up and walked, the clacking sounds of her boots loud as she left the room in an upset huff.

"…Kei, I know you're not that insensitive. Please don't remind her of that…" Mina said worriedly, glancing back at the door where Chika had left.

"…it's the truth. If she can't face it, then she has no place amongst us." Kei replied, seemingly unaffected, before she left the room.

"…Mina, pay it no heed." Histoire said, trying to ignore what had happened. "We cannot afford to worry about these issues when we have such a big problem at hand."

"…so, you're not concerned?" Mina asked, turning to Histoire in disbelief.

"…I am concerned. If we fall apart, we won't be able to protect the citizens. But if I concern myself with this, I won't be able to focus on trying to think of a method to accelerate the boy's growth without forcing him too mu-"

"I'm going to go." Mina said, and Histoire turned to her in shock.

Mina had a face of strangely renewed determination, and her eyes were set as if she had steeled herself to risk her life. Her hands were clenched tightly, and shaking as if she were afraid to death.

"Go? You don't mean…?" Histoire asked, her eyes widening.

"I'll find him, and help him to understand just what it is that he's capable of." She said firmly, straightening her jet black glasses. "And when the time is right…I'll bring him to us."

Histoire just nodded with a grim, resigned expression on her face. "…I will get the portal ready and inform the other two. Meanwhile, you should-"

Suddenly, the entire building shook violently, almost throwing Mina to the floor in its magnitude. She braced herself against the table, and she cast her gaze about in irritation.

"Looks like Judge is making his rounds again." She grunted, removing her brown and white trench coat.

Underneath, she sported a dark brown jump suit that hugged her figure very well. Brown leather belts and holsters were strapped to her body, sporting various different firearms and a single light blue metal pole the size of a ruler cut in half.

She drew the small piece of metal from her belt and then pressed a seemingly hidden button on it. It instantaneously morphed, shifting its metal until it formed a spiked staff that was an impressive two meters. The silvery metal spikes glowed with a gentle yet powerful cyan light, and she quickly turned to Histoire.

"I'll take Judge. You set up the portal." She said urgently, twirling the staff before running for the exit.

"Now?!" Histoire cried out in disbelief, but Mina just ignored her and dashed out the door.

Running down a long, dark hallway, Mina cut corners faster than the speed of an average human and sprinted at the kind of pace a professional sprinter would gape at. As she came across a set of double sliding doors, Mina sprinted out the doors and into a massive room.

The room was so large that it could probably house a whole city, which it actually did. The buildings were very crude, made of improvised material that was old scraps of metal and wood stuck, glued, nailed, and welded together. There were no asphalt streets, as the floor was made entirely out of steel. Instead, there were drawn lines that marked what was to be the sidewalks where people would walk.

The light that shone from the ceiling miles high was white and dull, almost as if the entire city was some sort of asylum. Dull gray covered everything, as the floor, walls and ceiling were all made of steel.

And in the ceiling, Mina could see a gaping hole torn in the same steel next to a bright ceiling light.

"Dammit!" Mina glowered at the sight of a massive figure slashing his way through the metal before soaring down towards the city imposingly. As it crashed down, massive clouds of dust rose from the impact that billowed over half of the city.

"Citizens of Gekko! Your time is nigh!" A loud shout of rage and ecstasy rose from the point of impact, and Mina just sighed before she began running towards the source of the voice.

…_curse this shelter for being underground. _Mina grumbled in complaint as she spotted soldiers slowly streaming through the hole in the ceiling and soaring towards the ground in parachutes and, in rarer cases, jetpacks.

As two men descended towards a house that was next to her, Mina planted her staff into the ground, vaulted onto the roof in a single bound, and then reached for the pistols in her belt. She took out a special pistol, designed as if the pistol had been born with a conjoined twin at the bottom. Two triggers, one for her pinky and one for her forefinger, laid on each side of the gun that shared one thick magazine.

She pulled the gun's triggers alternatively at unbelievable speed, and the two men were killed in the air before they reached the ground, hitting the roof of the house roughly before tumbling to a stop.

Holstering the pistol, she placed both hands onto the staff and then ran for the center of Gekko city, where the explosion had struck. As Mina skidded to a stop, she felt her eyebrow twitch as the inner woman in her screamed in horror. She tried to rein it in, though the sight in front of her wasn't helping.

CFW Judge was floating in the air and rushing from side to side, cleaving fleeing, screaming innocents with his humongous axe as if it were his pastime. And all the while, with blood in the air and everywhere, he cackled and laughed as if he enjoyed the very sight of grisly dismemberment.

As he passed by the blood-covered sidewalk, he grabbed a screaming young woman by the head and smashed her head with his grip. The lady's body crashed to the floor, limp and lifeless as it slowly gushed blood from the cavity where her head once was.

"GAHAHAHAHAHA! Cutting loose feels great!" The villain screamed, clearly overjoyed. As his eyes scanned the crowds once again, he locked eyes with Mina.

His eyes narrowed, and he charged without saying a word.

Mina, not willing to be outdone, charged him as well.

Judge swung his axe from his right, and Mina parried it away with the length of her staff. As he cursed and tried again, this time with a vertical strike, Mina sidestepped the swing and jabbed at his chest. Judge grunted in frustration and pain as the staff wounded him, and he roared before swinging his axe viciously once again. Mina somersaulted over the attack, landing a good distance away.

"…you're just a pest as always, you Oracles. Can't you see? We've already won! Gamindustri is ours!" He bellowed, raising his axe to the sky as his minions slowly swarmed Mina from all sides.

Mina spun her staff around her body, deflecting bullet rounds with her staff and her magic. As the assault ceased for a brief moment, Mina gritted her teeth and drove her staff into the steel below her.

Instantly, a circle of spikes made of pure ice crystals jutted out from the ground and impaled everyone around her for twenty feet. As the men screamed in pain, more drew back with wariness on their minds. Mina just pulled her staff out of the ground and struck the ground again.

Instantly, the ice spikes shattered and scattered in every direction as the speed of bullets, piercing everyone around her for the next fifty feet.

Save for CFW Judge, who stood there with spikes emerging from his whole body in scattered positions.

"I'll kill you!'" Judge screamed, and he thrust his axe towards Mina. Bolts of red lightning rained from the sky, struck his axe and arced outwards in a lethal curve towards the Lowee Oracle.

Mina just raised her hand, and the lightning parted around her and struck the ground, charring the steel black. She smirked and pushed her hand outwards. At her signal, a massive meteor of ice formed and flew at Judge, striking him dead center.

As Judge reeled backwards at the shock, Mina snapped her fingers. The meteor exploded, and the ice immediately rearranged itself into a massive drill.

"Hah!" With a loud grunt of effort, Mina lowered her arm and sent the spinning drill of ice straight into Judge, who was lost from sight at the sheer size of the drill.

The drill pummeled through the world before shattering as it made impact with a building, and the destroyed building slowly collapsed onto the hidden-from-view Judge.

…_did that actually get him? _Mina wondered, peering closer at the dust and debris that had risen in a cloud.

Her hopes were torn apart when she heard an ear-splitting yell of rage erupt from the mess of metal. Shards of steel and wood flew all over the place, some of it making slight cuts on Mina's skin through her jumpsuit. Mina staggered back, watching Judge as he rose from the heap of a broken building with pieces of the building still embedded in his body.

"MINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He raged, and he rushed Mina feverishly while swinging his axe like a madman. As Mina leaped over the first swing, Judge screamed louder as he sent a powerful punch into Mina's stomach. The force sent her flying back, and she went fifty feet and straight into a wall.

"Kh!"Mina cursed in pain as the attack wracked her body. She dropped back to her feet, staring upwards at Judge who glowered down at her while she clutched at her side, which burning with lines of pain.

Suddenly, as Judge was about to swing his axe down again, a form zipped in and kicked the weapon out of his hands.

It was Chika.

"Get the fuck outta here!" She spat, twisting her body in midair before landing another spinning kick that sent the Felon flying through the air like a stone from a slingshot.

Behind the flying form of Judge, another blurred form appeared and struck him from behind. Judge screamed, and translucent orange chains wrapped around his body and anchored into the ground.

The form disappeared and reappeared in front of Judge, and Mina could see the form of Kei's back as she drew out two small handguns.

Except each handgun was outfitted with seven barrels and a mini drum magazine.

Kei began walking backwards as she pulled the triggers, firing countless rounds that sounded like the throttle of a car engine at ultra-high speed. The rounds pierced the armor surrounding Judge's body, and a cry of agony rose from him before he dropped down to the ground.

Kei spun around and placed the pistols back into her coat before running over to Mina.

"…I'm sorry." Kei said apologetically, and Mina just smiled and nodded.

"Are you seriously going to go first? I thought we agreed on this." Chika said, placing her arms around Mina's shoulders and leaning on her.

"…I believe that I would be the best choice." Mina said, removing Chika's arm from her and distancing herself from the other two. "Not that you two are incompetent or anything, but I believe that I would be the best choice."

"I see." Kei replied, nodding in contemplation. "You believe that I would blackmail the boy, Histoire would force him to go and that Chika would…"

"Wait, why did you trail off when you mentioned me?" Chika replied, eyeing Kei suspiciously.

"Regardless…" Mina said, bringing the two's attention back to her. "I'll be off later. Histoire's preparing it now."

"What? Won't it take, like, three days?" Chika replied in disbelief.

"No, just three minutes." Mina replied, turning uneasily back to Judge, who was still on the floor testing his bonds. He roared back at the three Oracles as he pulled against the chains. "Can I leave the citizens to you?"

"Don't worry about it." Chika reassured, removing her coat and tossing it to the side.

Over her dark green jumpsuit, belt after belt of grenades jingled like lethal bells. Chika drew out a small cylindrical piece of metal and pressed a button on it. Instantly, the cylinder morphed into a long black and green double ended spear.

"We'll take care of this. Sending someone was long overdue, anyway." Kei said as she removed her coat as well.

Underneath, leather belts holstered several different pieces of metal that glowed with a pulsing dark blue light that travelled in lines around the surface. As she removed two pieces, she stuck them together. The metal instantly locked together and began morphing, and she stuck more and more until it formed a wicked, curved broadsword with jagged spikes pointed upwards.

"You head back and get ready, Mina." Kei said, grabbing the sword's handle with both hands and getting into a combat stance. "Judge is ours."

"Judge can't harm us." Chika added, twirling her staff and plucking a grenade from her grenade belt. "You just make sure that when you head back, he's ready to kick the crap out of Magic, Pirachu and Linda."

Mina nodded, smiling to herself.

Despite their differences and arguments, they were still the Oracles. No matter how bad things got, that would never change.

"I'll be back soon." Mina wheeled around and began sprinting back to Histoire, and the only sound she could hear was the sound of metal clashing and yells.

As Mina skidded to a stop in front of the door, she took a final glance backwards.

Judge was a fearsome opponent, taking powerful, broad swings with his axe that sent sparks from the ground. As he yelled loudly and swung his axe so widely it could have sliced a building down, Kei back flipped over the attack smoothly while Chika slid under and closed in.

Vaulting up using her spear, Chika sent another powerful kick into Judge's face and sent him back a bit before landing onto the floor and stabbing her spear into Judge's chest. As Judge cried out in pain and floated back in wariness, he was surprised by Kei suddenly leaping out from behind Chika and firing her hand-miniguns.

"Graaaah!" Judge screamed, holding a single armored hand up as if to ward off the bullets with it. Enraged, he swung his axe and sent a curved wave of energy out and forced the two Oracles to sidestep the attack.

Chika just cartwheeled to a stop and tossed a collection of frag grenades towards Judge. As they neared the Felon, Chika grinned and pulled out a shotgun from behind her.

She pulled the trigger, and a scream erupted from the armored heathen as he was buried and lost from view in a massive cloud of explosions.

…_they'll be fine. _Mina decided, shrugging before she entered the door and ran for the office.

As she opened the door to the meeting room again, she had to brace herself with her arms in the doorway to stop herself from flying forward.

Inside the meeting room, a massive pillar of white light that reached all the way to the ceiling was shimmering brightly. It had its own undefeatable gravitational pull, and it was sucking Mina in like a whirlpool.

"Histoire?!" Mina cried out, trying to look around the room to see the Oracle of Planeptune.

"Mina! Go in now! I won't be able to hold this for much longer!" Histoire's voice came from behind the pillar, sending Mina into a panicked state.

Without another thought, Mina took the leap forward and plunged into the light.

* * *

_I don't get it. _Noire thought as she eyed the vial.

"How is it?" She asked Gust impatiently, who was examining the vial in her hand.

The two were in Gust's office in the R&amp;D Department, where Noire had rushed over after Akai had managed to recreate the vial of unknown material. The Lastation had already caused a big fuss upon entering the building personally, setting the whole facility abuzz with activity.

"Please be patient. Gust has never laid eyes on such a thing before. It most interests me." The short little alchemist replied, waving a finger at the black twin-tailed girl before returning her eye to the vial.

The short brown-haired girl then clicked her tongue in frustration before getting off of her chair. "Simple examination has told Gust that Gust has never come across such strange phenomenon before. Gust requires tools. Follow Gust, if you like."

Noire, unsure of how to reply, just nodded and followed Gust out of the office.

They walked out into the white hallway, which was littered with a few staff members of the building dressed in lab coats and safety vests. The sound of their whispers and their glances as the duo passed by did not go by unnoticed, though it did go by unheeded. They rounded a corner, and a man wearing thick spectacles dropped his book in surprise. The man quickly scrambled for the book and stood back up, apologizing before making way for the CPU and the Maker.

"I want boy to come by R&amp;D again sometime. He is most interesting. He would make fine test subject." Gust commented, her eyes still fixed on the vial in front of her.

"Well, I don't know what to say in his place, though I do know that no one would want to be your test subject. Remember the last one?" Noire replied, brushing one of her twin tails back.

"Ah, yes." Gust agreed as if she were recalling a fond memory. "The man had offered to attempt some of the prototypes for Gust's Health Elixir at the time, didn't he?"

"Yes. And he had to undergo surgery just to get through the aftereffects." Noire shot back. "What did you put in there, anyway?"

"Hmm…is difficult for Gust to recall the ingredients of prototype." The Maker replied, her gloved hand going up to her chin as if she were in deep thought. "I believe key ingredient had been a few tablespoons of Dogoo Jelly combined with Dolphin Tail."

"…did that do anything for you?" Noire replied, flabbergasted.

Gust just shrugged as the pair finally stopped in front of a set of double doors. "Well, it's still the main ingredient even in the later productions of the recent models. You should have drank a few of these by now."

Noire just shook her head as they walked into the room in front of them.

The room was a massive one, with a flat white floor and gentle sky blue walls. The ceiling lights were white, shining down on the windows that circled a single, smaller room that had a single table on it.

"…what is this room that looks like a level from Dead Space 2?" Noire muttered, clearly spooked by the layout of what looked like a surgery room.

"Relax, no deaths had occurred in this room save for some Ancient Dragon Eggs." Gust reassured, patting Noire on her back before walking into the smaller chamber and placing the vial onto a rack in the chamber before walking out and shutting the door.

Gust walked back to Noire and then led her into another, smaller room that was very cramped.

It certainly didn't help that an abnormal number of electronic control panels were present.

"…so…remind me why we're here." Noire said, clearly uncomfortable with the lack of space around her.

"This is special room where materials are examined in order to investigate their properties. It is very useful for determining what can be used during synthesizing items." Gust said, puffing out her chest proudly. "Gust drew up first blueprints for this room."

"I see." Noire said, nodding in confirmation yet looking like she wanted to leave immediately. "Anyway…get to work."

"Roger." Gust affirmed, and then she cracked her knuckles after removing her gloves before she began pressing buttons on the keyboard laid out in front of her.

It was at a practiced, routine speed that Noire couldn't quite follow, Gust's hands working in perfect coordination with her eyes. As Gust's vision stayed locked on the five different screen that began to display various different gauges and statistics, her hands were traveling over the entire table's worth of controls that lit up and flashed like an airplane cockpit's dashboard.

"…most peculiar." Gust muttered, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, Noire felt her breath leave her lungs as Gust's hands began to speed up until they were moving at the same speed that Noire would type on a computer keyboard a fourth of the size that Gust was using.

"Is something wrong?" Noire asked curiously, unable to fully comprehend the numbers and words that were flashing in and out of the monitors.

"The vial is proving to be difficult just to scan." Gust said, and Noire could see an almost fierce smile on her lips. "Gust has never seen liquid like this before."

Suddenly, Noire was surprised when the top-right monitor began to flash with bright light. Turning her attention to the gaze provided the CPU with a clear display of several different machines, cameras and optical lasers, circling the vial from within the chamber. The light shimmering around the glass vial was very bright, forcing even the hardened Lastation resident to avert her eyes for fear of blindness.

"Gust, calm down. We need to know what it's made of and what it does, not destr-"

"Got it." Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the machines retracted into the ceiling. Noire turned to Gust in silent surprise, who had removed her hands from the keyboard and re-donned her gloves. She turned to Noire, a grin on her face.

"Most interesting. The liquid is a serum that seems to have properties similar to those of drugs that affect the more complex parts of the brain." Gust replied, turning to the screen and scratching her chin. "It seems that it centers specifically on the amygdala, hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex."

"…so?" Noire replied, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

"It's the portion of the brain that helps to handle emotions." Gust replied, her tone becoming slightly more concerned. "You said Neptune drank this?"

"Yes." Noire answered, becoming more and more concerned. "…why?"

"Nothing. Though I'd keep an eye on her if I were you." Gust said, eyeing the vial suspiciously with a strange glint of eagerness sparkling in her irises. "This stuff is affecting part of her brain that controls emotions. There's no telling what serum can do. Especially since Gust can't identify this one ingredient that seems to pinpoint an even more specific part of the brain."

"…so…we need to watch Neptune on her date." Noire finished for Gust, tilting her head, waiting for Gust to confirm.

"Get IF to do that. She seems interested, anyway. We need to try our best to figure out just what this mystery ingredient is." Gust replied, getting off of the chair and walking through the door.

She headed back into the sealed chamber and removed the serum from the testing table, pocketing it before exiting and walking back to Noire.

"What do you mean, IF is interested? And how do you intend to check what this mystery ingredient does?" Noire replied, baffled by Gust's lack of explanation.

"…surely you know how to get the results of a chemical when you don't know what it will do. It is easiest and most fun part of information gathering."

Noire just stared at her as if Gust had suggested that they fire a nuclear missile at the moon for no reason at all.

"…what are you planning to do, Gust?" Noire asked worriedly, clearly not liking where she was thinking Gust planned to take this.

Gust just grinned wickedly, a mischievous glint twinkling in her eyes.

"Experimentation."

* * *

Linda and Pirachu sat at an extremely large, round meeting table accompanied by multiple men and women in white coats.

"Give me the full report, you idiots. Don't use the big words, either." Linda replied impatiently, her fingernails clacking against her dark purple armrest. She pointed at a particular scientist with her hand. "You."

"R-right!" One of the scientists, a balding middle-aged man whose somewhat bare scalp was glistening with the sweat he was sweating in nervousness and fear for his own life. After all, Linda had a reputation for instantly killing the people that were too long winded. He stood up from the chair he sat in, ignoring the stares of pity his colleagues were giving him, and cleared his throat.

"The subject is a seventeen year old teenage boy, who goes by the name of Akai Gurren. He is a human from another dimension, one where the CPUs don't exist as people. Instead, the world of Gamindustri exists there as a realm of fiction."

"Hmm…continue, chu~" Pirachu nodded, gesturing for the scientist to continue.

"The boy has been reported to have some type of unidentified resonance with the remaining samples of Sharicite we have stored, wherein the crystals seem to fire waves of bio-energy whose frequency matches that of the boy." The scientist went on, trying his best not to stutter. "We theorize that he has an unidentified relationship with the Sharicite, though we cannot grasp what it is exactly without more information."

Linda just yawned, seemingly bored yet glaring holes into the scientist's body as if he were a slice of bread and she a starved rat.

"As a result of the boy's unusual potential, we did as you had previously requested and managed to infiltrate the dimension that the subject resided in. We determined that he resonated perfectly with the CPU Sharicite, though it was difficult to ascertain just what his relationship was. When the crystal we had brought with us as a sample was brought closer to him, the CPU Sharicite began to glow again. However, its molecular form had also destabilized, and turned into a type of never-before seen material that can be used to synthesize and recreate large scale amounts of anti-matter."

When that particular statement was said, Linda raised her eyebrow and sat back up straight. Pirachu had leaned forward, his interest obviously piqued.

"As per instruction, we had managed to embed a dimensional portal device into the room he lived in. And we had managed to confirm his entry. However, there was some sort of unforeseen error with the dimensional transporter, and he had been sent to another dimension without our telling." The scientist concluded, bowing before sitting back down into his chair in a massive huff of relief.

"…good. What's our status on the clones?" Linda turned her immediate attention to the table in general.

"The copies of Copypaste and Anonydeath are proving to be the most effective in combat training. Rei Ryghts, Abnes and Mr. Badd's clones are proving to be less useful in physical combat. And the Peashy clones are proving problematic to use, as her body is resistant to our experimentation attempts thanks to the resonance effect with the remaining CPU Sharicite. We proposed to just use Anonydeath and Copypaste as the main fighting force for the army. It is either that, or we use Anonydeath clones as the intelligence division, and Copypaste clones will form the brunt of the army."

"…discontinue the production of the other clones and focus on the Copypaste and Anonydeath production." Linda ordered, standing up and slamming her hand authoritatively onto the table. "They aren't proving effective against the Oracles and their soldiers, are they?"

"No. We will improve the genetic augmentation immediately." The scientists all stood up and then filed out of the room as quickly as possible while still trying to look professional.

"…damn those Oracles. Why do they keep resisting? Their beloved CPUs were already publicly executed." Linda wondered out loud, standing up and walking towards the exit nonchalantly.


	16. Chapter 15: Disruption

**Chapter 15: Disruption**

"Hey, let's go on that one next!" Neptune cried out cheerfully at a volume that would send Dumbo flying for the moon, her face gummy with the remains of cotton candy and mustard. She pointed towards the most dangerous roller coaster attraction in Planeptune's theme park, the CPU Crusher.

Her entire outfit had suffered the painful aftereffects of her cravings, having been dyed with the stench of food and drink innumerable. Everyone who saw her however, didn't even do a double take. They just glanced at her and then went about their usual business.

Like it was a usual occurrence.

_Is this how it works around here? _Akai wondered as he struggled to catch up with the fleeing maiden, who was dodging and weaving out of human traffic as if she were being pulled by the hand of an omniscient puppeteer.

As Akai finally managed to catch Neptune by the arm and pull her back to him, she just went with the flow and skidded to a stop directly beside the teenage boy.

"Problem? You hungry? Maybe they make those nice croquettes I saw in that amusement park anime on TV the other day. They're supposed to be ham and cheese, or something. Hmm…" Neptune wondered out loud, and then she leaped up and landed directly on Akai's shoulders. She then stood up, treating the boy under her as the crow's nest of an imaginary battleship, and began looking around the entire area to the bewilderment of Akai.

And, strangely, not the bewilderment of the citizens around him.

…_they must be used to this. _Akai sighed decidedly before reaching up and carrying Neptune back down to eye level.

However, since Akai was taller, Neptune still drifted an inch off of the ground thanks to Akai carrying her.

"Wait, the CPU Crusher? I don't know if I like the sound of that." Akai started, glancing worriedly at the behemoth of steel nearby that towered at half the height of the Planeptune Tower. He could hear the rumble of the coaster cars as they thundered across the rails, and the chilling sight of the metal columns swaying to the momentum only served to make him more nervous.

"Don't worry! It can't kill anyone! I helped design it, so it should be fine!" Neptune replied, trying to free herself from Akai's grip. However, his hands were too strong to pry open, and Neptune just decided to remain limp.

"Well…the fact that you designed it only makes me a little more nervous." Akai confessed with a troubled grin, and he set Neptune down on the ground. "How about we relax for a while? It's been an hour of nothing but running around and crazy rides. The last one you took me on was a merry-go-round set to the speed of a blender."

"Fine. But you'd better not make me go on those alone. Every now and then, I see someone wearing a sheep mascot costume on the roof of some of the stands, and he's got a sniper rifle." Neptune conceded, casting a wary gaze around her.

"…Tiramie won't be here. He probably has other issues. I would say he doesn't exist, but that doesn't exactly apply anymore when I've been sucked into a world I thought existed in nothing but anime and video games." Akai replied before sighing again, grabbing Neptune by the hand and then dragging her behind him. "Now let's go and sit down. I want to just relax for a bit."

…_.rather, I'd like some time to examine the situation. _Akai stole a very quick glance at the Planeptune CPU, whose eyes were darting from one direction to another like a child's.

Despite acting like a love-struck maiden a few hours ago, she was perfectly like how Akai would imagine she would normally be. A moe-blob of a ditzy CPU whose voice could outdo a car horn and whose level of energy probably rivalled that of five industrial nuclear power plants.

_Well…it's not like anything could go wrong. It's just an amusement park date. _Akai reassured himself, tugging the complaining girl towards the food court.

* * *

"So…remind me why she's here." IF groaned to Compa as she pointed at their new companion.

A beautiful, fair skinned lady wearing a white and green dress with long blonde hair that flowed down to her waist stood a small ways across from them, observing the Planeptune CPU and her date energetically dragging one another over to the food court.

Clad in a pair of conspicuous sunglasses and wearing a light brown sunhat, she was the stunning bombshell that made men turn their eyes, whistle, spill their drinks and trip over themselves.

Oh, and she happened to be using a pair of high-powered binoculars that looked so large that one could probably use it as a blunt weapon.

"You make it sound like you don't want me here, Iffy." The woman replied, lowering her binoculars and shooting a knowing smile at the brunette.

She was the CPU of Leanbox, the military nation of Gamindustri.

As CPU, Green Heart.

As a woman, Vert.

The blonde stood from her crouching position, which actually looked more than a little promiscuous thanks to her natural air of erotica, and slyly smirked at IF. "You were the one to come and ask for help, weren't you?"

"W-well…that's true." IF muttered, unable to deny the truth.

She had asked this far too perceptive and teasing woman for help.

"IF just can't admit that she likes Akai." Compa suddenly said, and IF immediately and ominously drew her Qatars in response to the statement.

Vert just chuckled as Compa backed away from her friend, who looked ready to fight an army of Ancient Dragons without leaving a single survivor in her wake as she stomped towards the peach-blonde-haired girl.

"I-ignore w-w-what Compa's s-saying, Vert!" IF stuttered angrily, pointing her weapons directly at her friends. "She's not-"

"IF, you need to be honest with yourself." Vert giggled, glancing back at the Planeptune CPU with a slightly concerned expression. "Otherwise, what you want will be taken away from you."

IF looked in the direction that Vert's eyes were focused in.

She could see Akai grumbling, and Neptune acting like her usual ditsy self by finishing her seventh plate of food.

"I already know the gist from you two. Basically, the boy…Akai, was it? Anyway, he created some sort of liquid solution that caused Neptune to start acting with affection towards him." Vert said, her smile fading and her eyes slowly becoming serious.

The pair of friends nodded, and IF lowered and sheathed her weapons before placing one of her hands onto her waist.

"…the boy is smart. And very perceptive." Vert said, and she gestured for the two to look at the faraway pair again. This time, the CPU held up the binoculars for the two to use.

First, Compa took a peek to see Akai holding a spoon out to Neptune, who was waiting for the spoon to reach her wide open mouth.

Compa then handed it to IF, who was witness to the amazing sight of Neptune with Akai's whole hand in her mouth.

"If you'd noticed, Akai seems to be fully aware of the consequences within his circumstances." Vert said, taking the pair of binoculars back.

"What do you mean?" Compa asked, and IF leaned in to hear as well.

"I can tell that he's doing his best to do nothing but humor her. I can see it in his eyes. He's holding back very well. He knows that he can do whatever he wants to her now, but he's also aware of the circumstances of doing exactly that." Vert continued, her gaze locking specifically onto the boy. "He's aware that doing anything to her, anything at all, could potentially get him killed."

"…so…he's being careful with her?" IF asked, tilting her head, trying to understand what Vert was getting at.

"Yes. Very. Also…he's not focusing entirely on her. It's as if there's something else on his mind that's distracting him." Vert said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I don't know what it is. Do you have any ideas?"

"Nope." Compa said firmly, shaking her head.

IF remained silent, choosing to just look at the pair in the distance.

"…Neptune probably won't remain that way for long, you know." IF turned to see Vert next to her, and the smile on her face was coy and very knowing.

Like she knew something.

"What do you mean?" IF replied, not letting an inch of her inner panic show on her face.

"Whatever she drank is probably layered with magic spells of all sorts. But those won't last the day. I guarantee you that she'll never remember what happened here by sundown or by the time she wakes up tomorrow morning. Either way." Vert said, placing a finger over her lips as she winked suggestively at the coat-wearing girl before withdrawing to a safer distance. "What will last is what Akai will remember. Right now, he's cautious and safe. However…if she tries something extreme…well, men don't always hold out well when logic is drawn back by temptation."

IF just ignored the statement, turning away to keep staring at the faraway pair that was beginning to cause a scene.

…_be honest with myself…huh? _IF thought, her teeth slowly beginning to grind against one another as her indecision clashed with her willpower inside her heart.

* * *

"Lady Blanc! You should take a break!" Mina cried as she stood over the Lowee CPU that was splayed out over her worktable like a cadaver.

It was the middle of the day already, and the sandy brown-haired girl clad in a white hat and a brown &amp; white fur coat over a white sleeveless undershirt had collapsed for what had seemed like the fourth time.

Blanc just sighed and began pushing herself back up again. "I'm…okay…I just need to-"

"Get some rest!" Mina finished her statement for her, making even the usually stubborn CPU flinch. "You need to stay healthy, more than anything else! Your work can come later. That's why I'm here."

Blanc raised a weak hand up, pointing a trembling finger up to the ceiling. "…but…the deadline for the doujin circle online is-"

"Unimportant! Now, I'm going to make sure you take a good nap." Mina replied, grabbing the girl by the scruff of her neck and out of her workroom. As she threw open the double doors, Mina walked through the long hallway, her heels clacking onto the floor loudly while drowning out the tired, groaning complaints coming from the Lowee CPU.

Mina stopped for a moment to throw open Blanc's room's door before walking inside. She sighed in a moment of tiredness, picked up the exhausted girl, and tossed her onto the bed. The sound of the mattress letting out air muffled the sound of Blanc's voice as it let out yet another complaint.

"I'm not going to let you out until you get some decent rest. Call me if you need anything else, like some tea. Oh, and no gadgets allowed." Mina spoke in a motherly tone, slowly walking back to the doorway.

Blanc just shot her a look of loathing before surrendering and plopping down onto the bed. "…tea, please."

Mina smiled. "That's more like it. The usual, or a different blend?"

"…the cranberry and mint, **mother**." Blanc replied, stuffing her face into the pillow. The last word was injected with so much sarcasm that one could only use Compa's needle for the sheer amount.

"Got it. It'll be ready in fifteen minutes or so." Mina concluded, bowing slightly before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

Mina turned and began pacing for the kitchen, humming a cheery tune to herself. As she walked through the front door, Mina instantly headed for the cabinet.

_Cranberry and mint, right? Did we even have a blend like that? _Mina wondered worriedly as she reached for the small cabinet door.

And suddenly, she heard an extremely loud sound that was a combination of a loud thud and a voice yelping in pain.

And while normally she would be concerned, Mina wasn't exactly sure when she realized in the next second that it was her own voice she heard.

Mina immediately turned around, and she slowly sneaked over to the entranceway to the kitchen. Peering around the corner, she felt her brain suddenly spin on its axis.

She could see herself.

Or more accurately, another Mina dressed in a highly figure-hugging blue and brown leather jumpsuit.

_What the heck is going on?! _Shocked into silence, Mina could only watch as the other her just rubbed her head in pain and sighed. Slowly, the other Mina began to look around, and her eyes widened in what looked like amazement.

"Hey, Mina?"

Suddenly, a childish voice forced Mina to spin on her heel in a panic, and to make as little noise as possible when doing so.

With perfect timing, a small little girl with short sandy brown hair and a pastel blue winter jacket over a blue dress topped with a matching pastel blue hat stood there.

Rom was standing behind her with a small white bowl of breadsticks in hand.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice sweet and innocent, as she pulled a breadstick out and began nibbling it cutely as if she were a squirrel.

_I can't let her see the other me! It's only going to cause problems! _Mina decided, and she stood up straight. Patting down her clothes, she immediately put on a calm and _ready-to-help _expression.

"I'm just making some tea for Blanc. Would you mind helping me by heating some of the water?" Mina said, her voice overflowing with her mother-like aura.

"Nn." Rom nodded silently before skipping to the kitchen, pulling out another four breadsticks as she did.

"…okay, crisis averted for now." Mina sighed before she quickly backed up close to the doorway. "I just hope that no one saw-"

And suddenly, a loud thud accompanied the shocking sight of a leather jumpsuit-clad alternate Mina falling through the kitchen doorway mounted by a small girl with sandy brown hair that reached her shoulders, and wore a pastel pink winter jacket over a pink dress, and topped with a matching pastel pink hat.

Ram had begun her assault.

"Gotcha! Now, taste the power of my cheese pie!" Ram cried out triumphantly, and quickly rummaged through her small blue purse before revealing a massive pie tin.

With a laugh, she promptly smashed it into the alternate Mina's face.

"That's what you get for wearing something so…" And just when Ram swept her eyes across the room while talking, she caught sight of the stupefied-beyond-words Mina standing just inches away from them.

With that, Ram promptly leaped to her feet and drew closer to Mina.

Grabbing the Lowee Oracle by the collar, she pulled the blue-haired girl closer and immediately grabbed her cheeks. She began to smoosh it around, much to the victim's discontent.

Mina, unable to stand the situation any longer, stood up and took Ram's hands off of her cheeks. "What are you doing, Ram?"

"Checking to see if you're real. You know. There are two of you now. At least, that's what I can see." Ram replied, backing away. She glanced down at the Mina she was now standing on, and then to the Mina standing in front of her. "…we need a name for this one, though."

…_she's not reacting quite how I expected her to. _Mina thought, and then she glanced towards the exit to the kitchen where Rom was now standing in shock as a spectator.

"…it's just like Blanc's books." Was the only comment she made before walking over to the Mina with pie on her face.

Rom pulled out a towel from her pink purse and crouched down to wipe the pie off of her face. As she finished, she picked up the bowl of breadsticks and held one out to the blue-haired doppelganger of the Lowee Oracle.

"Want one?" She asked in her usual calm, shy and cute voice.

"…okay." The other Mina just nodded, clearly unsure of what to say, and then took the breadstick by the mouth.

…_I'm going to have to take control of this situation. _Mina just sighed, slumping her shoulders as she walked to the kitchen. _First, the tea…_

"…so, what are you planning on having me do?" Nisa asked, completely lost.

"Do we really have to go over this one more time?" Gust groaned, clearly irritated.

"Well, I can't blame her. You've been talking too much and explaining nothing, Gust." Noire replied in Nisa's stead, to which Gust just shot a venomous look.

"Fine. You do explaining, then. Gust is here for experiment and fun. Not for explanation." Gust spat, swiveling on her office chair to face away from the Lastation CPU.

The three were in an experimentation chamber in the R&amp;D Department. With walls painted a dull white, an overuse of bulletproof glass and reinforced concrete and a ton of protective chambers, Gust and Noire were sitting in an observation deck outfitted with cameras that lined up and practically made up an entire wall of the room.

In front of Gust and Noire was a massive counter's worth of keyboard controls with so many different labels in tiny handwriting that it could intimidate even the ever-hardworking Lastation CPU. Red buttons flashed incessantly and meters went up and down on their own, representing the measures of variables in real-time.

Whereas Nisa was locked within a mini-testing chamber made of bomb shelter-level steel alloy.

"Fine, gimme the mic." Noire sighed, giving up and snatching the microphone from the alchemist. "Nisa, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. Now, tell me how this works." Nisa replied, and Noire could see her worried face in the cameras as she sat in a small prison-like bedroom.

"Alright. You already know that we're having you test this serum that Akai made." Noire began.

"Yeah. You usually lose me right after this part."

"Well, to put it simply, we discovered that this serum is supposed to do something to the brain of whoever drinks it."

"Wait, then! If you're going to make someone drink it, make it some lab animal or…SOMEONE ELSE THAT'S NOT ME!"

"We can't use animals, since the serum seems to stimulate the parts of the brain that deal with emotions. Additionally, we also found layers of magic webbed in the whole thing. We have made sure that none are poisonous or lethal, but we have no idea just what they do. Your body is tougher and stronger than most humans, so you're one of our best shots."

"…whatever, you're probably just going to keep trying until I do, or you'll blackmail me with something. Give it here." Nisa finally surrendered and hung her head, and she jolted in surprise as a small compartment in the wall opened and displayed a metal tray on a stand.

On the tray was the glass vial.

…_well, it doesn't look dangerous. _Nisa decided as she took a closer look at the glass tube. As she picked it up and looked it from varying angles, she just shrugged and popped the cork.

"…alright, drink it now." Noire said, and Nisa could hear the worrying sound of Gust's hands flying over the keys at the speed of a super powered octopus with five fingers and opposable thumbs over the microphone.

"…fine." Nisa muttered as she tossed the liquid in her mouth and let the flavorless liquid roll around in her mouth a bit before swallowing.

"She did it. How's things on your end?" Noire asked, turning to the short girl seated behind her.

But Gust didn't answer, her intensive, focused gaze locked onto the multiple screens as her hands moved independently from her eyes.

The screens that were displaying every inch of Nisa and the room she was in was now switched to gauges, meters and charts that were rising and rising. Whining sounds, beeps and mechanical clicks were abound in the whole room, and Noire couldn't follow all of the information that was being processed on the screen.

"Affected areas are experiencing the expected reactions…the magical defragmentation scanners are working at 78% optimum efficiency…" Gust muttered absent-mindedly to herself as her eyes were darting from one screen to the next at the speed of a professional NEET.

As Gust kept looking around, her eyes widened in shock at the screens as she suddenly increased her typing speed. Finally, she slammed the controls and then turned away from the screens, and she drifted backwards on her rotating chair.

Gust was silent, and immobile.

"…so? What's going on?" Noire asked, worried as she slowly drew closer to the small alchemist.

"…I dissected a missing ingredient we couldn't detect earlier." Gust replied, her voice soft and laced with tension.

Immediately, Gust got off the chair and dragged it with her to the keyboards again. Placing it down, she hopped onto the chair again and then glanced at Noire.

And she looked satisfied.

"It's a trace of Akai's genetics."

Noire just stared at the head of the R&amp;D Department, dumbfounded.

It all began to click together in Noire's head as her brain began to chip away at the problem.

"See Nisa for yourself." Gust said, and she pointed to the monitors. Noire looked to the display.

On the TVs, she saw Nisa sitting on the bed as if nothing had happened. But upon closer examination, Noire saw that there was now a very faint blush on her cheeks. Nisa's eyes were darting from one area to the next very occasionally, as if she were anxious or nervous. Her leg was repeated thrumming against the floor, clearly indicating that she was restless.

And she looked absent-minded, spacing out as if she were thinking of something else.

"It all connects now. The magic spells interlaced in the liquid, as well as its chemical makeup, now all make sense. With traces of Akai in the solution, and judging by Neptune's reaction…you can already tell what the potion is supposed to do to whoever drinks it."

Noire didn't want to admit it.

But she already had a very good idea.

And she didn't like it at all.

"However…we may be wrong, so it's time for Phase 2 of our experiment." Gust replied, suddenly becoming extremely energetic. She leaped off of the chair and dashed past the Lastation CPU, and she entered the inner chamber where Nisa was.

"Nisa! Nisa! Come!" Gust shouted as she entered the chamber and approached the blue-haired Maker with gusto.

"What is it, Gust?" Nisa asked, standing up to receive the tiny brunette.

Noire had tried her best to follow Gust, and she had managed to walk into the chamber following her at the exact same moment Gust had pulled out an extremely high-quality picture of Akai and handed it to Nisa.

And her reaction was splendid.

Nisa, immediately began to stare at the picture, and she brought the picture closer to her eyes to do the staring. Hanging onto it, she gripped it tighter.

Noire could clearly see a faint blush staining the justice preserving woman's cheeks, and the aura around her was a very suspicious one Noire had never seen Nisa have.

The Lastation CPU turned worriedly to the alchemist, spun her around and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"…we need to get to Neptune and Akai." She declared silently as not to let Nisa hear them, her concern beginning to burn like a bonfire.

Gust just smiled devilishly, and then she slipped out of the taller woman's grasp before turning to Nisa, who was still focused entirely on the picture in her hands. She snatched the picture away, and Nisa immediately blinked once before reacting violently.

"Hey!" She exclaimed in protest, standing up and attempting to steal back the picture. However, Gust easily kept the picture out of Nisa's reach and back flipped towards the door.

Gust just giggled playfully and waved the picture tantalizingly at the hero. "If you catch Gust, you'll get a reward!" Gust then darted away at the speed of sound, the sudden movement eluding even Noire's shocked eyes.

"Come back here!" Nisa cried out in frustration, and she tore past Noire at an equally terrifying speed, making Noire's twintails flying in the wind as she zoomed past. Rounding the corner with disturbing smoothness as if she were playing Mario Kart on 150cc, Nisa also disappeared from view.

…_why do I get the feeling that Gust had planned all of this from the beginning? _Noire just sighed, concerned &amp; anxious, and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Did your heart skip a beat? Did you get a heart attack? Did it come out on the way down connected to your veins like how it works in Mortal Kombat or Happy Tree Friends?"

Akai tried his best to calm down while ignoring the incessant rambling put up by his _date_, Neptune, who had managed to pester Akai into getting in line for the CPU Crusher. That line was an hour's worth of a wait, during which Neptune would frequently get hungry and ditch Akai for some food stands.

When that part was over, the actual ride had managed to inflict Akai's usually firm and enduring head with throbbing, painful headache that felt like the hands of God were pressing against it temples-first.

If that hadn't added insult to injury, she'd forced him along for a second ride, after which he'd waited for another hour before he promptly threw up his food.

The two were now sitting on a bench together, Neptune fanning Akai with a CPU Crusher-themed paper fan. Next to them was an assortment of amusement park snacks laid out onto a tray, and Neptune was easily sneaking in bites as she fanned her companion.

"…Neptune, just keep fanning me and give me ten minutes. I should be good by then." Akai groaned, letting his head hang backwards as he let out a deep sigh to relieve his system of the swirling mess inside.

"Ten minutes is way faster than most people's first time. Usually, they take a week to recover from the nausea. And that doesn't count the physical injuries some get." Neptune replied, her eyes widened while continuing to fan the boy whilst she took a bite out of her burger.

…_physical injury? _Akai decided not to ask about the worrisome statement, and instead enjoy the cool air that Neptune was providing him with.

"…hey, people are staring at us." Neptune's sudden comment, made Akai take a very quick sweep of the area with a subtle glance.

Indeed, she was right. They seemed to be the center of attention.

"Well, it's not like we're the most normal couple here." Akai replied, looking at Neptune and then down at his own form.

While Neptune was dressed in her typical Jersey Dress, Akai had chosen a more casual outfit in a bright red collared shirt with a light blue jacket, along with a pair of normal blue denim jeans and a pair of brown shoes.

"…where did you get those clothes, anyway?" Neptune asked, drawing nearer and nearer to Akai, fingering the fabric.

"Well…to be honest, there's a ton of stuff in the drawer that I don't own. They all seem to suit my size, though. It's really convenient." Akai confessed, chuckling as he reached for a cup of soda and sipped from the straw.

"Well, you look really handsome in it, so it's all good." Neptune's extremely blunt and forward reply almost made Akai stare back at her in shock. Ensuring he doesn't choke on his soda, he quickly removed the plastic from his mouth and averted his eyes.

…_can't let my guard down even for a second. _Akai grumbled to himself mentally. _She's still experiencing the side effects of whatever she drank. I can't let her do something stupider than her usual brand of stupidity. And I can't do anything stupid either. _

"Hey, mind if we head to the haunted house next?" Neptune sudden request snapped him out of his mental train, and Akai turned to face the source of the voice.

Though Neptune was already about to break the boundaries of personal space.

"Heyyyyy~ You awake?" Neptune's face, already so close to Akai's that he could feel her breath on his cheek. She had clambered up onto the bench, and was in an all-fours position crawling towards Akai.

Akai's immediate reaction was to back away, and he felt his back strike the arm of the bench, cornering him effectively.

"Alright, then." Akai said, trying his best not to let the panic flow through his voice as he began to turn to stand up.

But Neptune's arm swiftly slammed against the armrest, cutting him off from leaving.

And now, Neptune had crawled up to Akai to the point where she was practically on top of him.

"Hey! What are you doing?! People are here!" Akai, wide-eyed, cried out in astonishment and panic as he tried to back away. However, he was already crammed and trapped.

"…don't look at those people. Look at me." Neptune replied, her voice low and hushed. She almost looked sexy in their current situation, and Akai's mind and body were screaming as they fought with the spears of lust and temptation.

_How the hell did it end up like this?! _Akai howled mentally, looking for an escape that didn't exist. _I need to get out of this! If only something or someone could show up and get her off me!_

* * *

"…they might end up doing it on the bench."

Vert was then promptly smacked on the head by an irritated Compa and IF for that comment.

"We can't exactly interfere…but at the same time, we can't just go ahead and let them do that. Otherwise, the nation's own ruler is going to end up in prison for a crime she didn't plan on committing." IF muttered as she retracted her fist to stare dubiously at the pair on the bench.

"So…IF, are you ready to barge in and steal back your man?" Compa said, much to the dismay of the brunette.

"…fine, I'll admit that I like him, but I'm not about to just go ahead and just interrupt their date. It's bad etiquette." IF replied, trying to hide her blush as she did her best to just stare at the pair while ignoring the piercing, teasing stare from her lifelong childhood friend.

"While that's certainly true…I get the feeling you won't be able to remain that polite for very long." Vert interrupted, and she gestured towards a group of people heading their way.

A short, brown haired girl with a white hat and a pouch of chemicals that should probably be handled with nothing less than a hazmat suit that was dashing for them while skipping eagerly.

A taller, blue haired girl with a red scarf and a black jumpsuit that made her look like a crude Catwoman cosplay, especially with the goggles on her head. She was red-faced, and was clearly chasing for the little brown haired troublemaker like she was ready to kill.

And finally, a black haired twintail-clad girl in a brown and white dress that made heads turn and admirers whistle in appreciation before they were struck on the head by either the girl passing or the girl next to them.

_I don't like the look of this. _IF thought to herself as Gust quickly dove for the bush they were hiding in, with Nisa close behind and Noire complaining that they were too fast and too loud.

"What are you guys doing here?" Compa asked Nisa and Gust innocently, who had fallen onto her lap messily.

Gust immediately perked up and scooted away from Nisa. "We're here to conduct the next phase of experiment in order to confirm what serum does."

"Noire, you're late." Vert said, standing up to greet the Lastation CPU who was hunched over and out of breath. "Did you gain weight?"

"Now's not the time, Vert." Noire replied, standing back up straight and walking past the blonde. "Right now, we need to-WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Noire yelped as she noticed Neptune and Akai on the bench, and Vert swiftly pulled the twintailed girl behind the bushes to hide her from view.

"Well, it's a good thing we brought Nisa here, right?" Gust prodded the blue haired girl before pointing in the direction of Akai and Neptune.

And Nisa stood up at the sight and immediately began to stomp over to the pair.

"W-wait! You can't do that!" IF called, out, embarrassed, and she immediately ran forward to try and pull Nisa back.

Behind them, Gust just giggled.

"…you planned this, didn't you?" Noire asked the alchemist, suspicion and doubt fresh in her mind and dripping from her voice.

Gust just winked and shot Noire a cheeky grin.


	17. Chapter 16: Honesty

**Chapter 16: Honesty**

"W-wait!" Akai stuttered, trying to back away from the girl who was almost directly on top of him, her face slowly drawing closer to his.

With a blush that looked like she was intoxicated and a position that was so dangerous to men that she would win a _moe_ competition with flying colors, Neptune was still trying to close in on Akai.

"Akai…" With a sigh that sounded all too sexy and alluring for sanity's sake, Neptune slowly drew closer and closer to the bewildered, panicking boy.

And she was suddenly lifted away from Akai, giving the boy room to breathe.

"N-Nisa! What do you think you're doing, you triple-A-battery!" Neptune squealed in protest as she began struggling against her captor.

_Nisa? _Akai wondered as he took a look at the face of the person grasping Neptune below the arms in a hold and restraining her movements.

"H-hey, Akai." The blue-haired justice preserving girl greeted sheepishly, and Akai grimaced as he saw her tighten her grip on the CPU in her arms.

"Owowowowowowowowow!" Neptune cried out, and she immediately stopped struggling. Once she went limp, the pain visible on her face vanished immediately. "Man, have you been working out?! You're like a Shogun Ceanataur or something!"

As Akai stood back up in a daze in an attempt to regain his bearings, another person approached him while Nisa and Neptune began to argue in the background.

"How are you doing, Akai? You alright?" IF asked him, reaching forward and dusting his shirt off.

"I'm…doing pretty okay. Lost control of the situation back there, though." Akai said, chuckling light-heartedly as he glanced worriedly back at the lilac-haired girl who had started to struggle in Nisa's grip again. "I may have watched a lot of anime like that, but I guess experiencing it in real life is much different."

IF just shot him a smile of consolation and patted him on the shoulder.

…_what the hell am I supposed to say in this kind of situation, anyway?! _That question rang out in IF's mind uneasily as she glanced back at the entire group surrounding her. In the bushes, she could see Noire and Vert conversing with one another.

"Damn, I was on edge the whole time, so I couldn't really enjoy myself." Akai admitted, laughing while scratching the back of his head. IF turned to look at him, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, this amusement park is one of the most famous ones in Planeptune, so you should've tried your best to enjoy it while you could." IF reasoned, shooting another glance at the park around her.

They were now in one of the rest and relaxation sections in between the rides of the park, where people could go to just sit down and relax. The pavement was white and decorated with bright, cheerful colors in cute designs, with an overwhelming amount of these designs being kiddy-style drawings. Small trees and bushes stood in the park as well, providing a natural calm to the otherwise noisy and energy-filled amusement park.

To their left, from the wooden benches propped up and reinforced with dark purple steel, one could see an assortment of people lined up for the CPU Crusher. The line stretched back and wound around the waiting section three times, and the fact that there were people walking around and selling refreshments and snacks near the line obviously meant that it wasn't going to be a pleasant wait. There were crying children and parents hushing said crying children, and the sound of them all together combined with the rumbling of the ever-titanic roller coaster looming from above along with the screams of the people riding it only made the head throb.

To the right from where Akai and IF stood was the food court, a plaza full of light blue chairs, tables and umbrellas to shield from the sun. Children were sitting with or on their parents, and the sound of them nibbling on food, crying, laughing and wailing only made the park's ambiance that much more chaotic. Assorted snacks like crepes, churros and pizza were scattered messily throughout the tables, and were being devoured by adults and kids alike.

"Hmm…well, I guess I could slip away while those two are going at it." Akai commented, a mischievous grin lifting the corners of his lips as he hinted with a subtle gesture of the head at Neptune and Nisa, who had begun their own full-scale heated argument in the middle of the park.

"…maybe. Though I think you'll come to regret it later on." IF replied, laughing and letting out a sigh of disbelief and surrender. "I don't think I can stop you if you try, so do what you like."

Akai then took a step forward and sent his hand up her coat sleeve, catching her hands with his. "Then you're coming with me. It's too boring if I go alone, so come on!"

"Wha-?!" IF could only let out a small attempt at a question before Akai immediately began dashing in the opposite direction, dragging the brunette behind him.

* * *

"Now explain yourself." Mina said, her eyes burrowing holes into the Mina sitting across from her. "I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but I want answers."

"…I came from another Gamindustri. Not like the one you live in now." She replied, her eyes returning the stare back at the Hyperdimension Mina.

…_well, I can tell if that's what I'm wearing. _She thought as she looked down at the leather jumpsuit that her opposite was wearing.

Tight, figure hugging and almost arousing just to look at.

"…five years ago, the Criminals of the Free World obtained a new power that even we didn't understand." The other Mina started, her eyes beginning to become downcast. Mina could see her opposite's eyes becoming shrouded with sorrow. "We didn't know how, but they managed to turn Linda and Pirachu into CPUs."

"That small rat is a CPU?" Mina replied, astounded by the prospect.

The other Mina only nodded in reply. "Unlike the CFWs, Pirachu and Linda were able to draw energy not only from the Shares that the CPUs were tapping into, but also the life energy of every citizen they could find. They began a massacre in Leanbox, and Vert was unable to do anything."

It felt like a comet of ice had landed in the room. Mina felt her heart stop in mid-beat at the prospect of thousands of denizens being wiped out. Sweat began to run cold on the back of her neck, only deepening the pit in her stomach.

"Lastation came next, and Noire was helpless against their onslaught. She barely escaped with her life. And they only got stronger and stronger." The other Mina continued, her tone drenched with sadness. "Lowee came after that. And finally, they came forth in full force and seized Planeptune."

"…unbelievable…" Mina breathed, her lungs feeling as if something were trying to tear them out of her chest.

"They captured the CPUs and subjected them to a horrible beating in front of all the citizens that remained. This was enough to drain any ounce of faith they had left in Neptune, Nepgear, Noire, Uni, Blanc, Rom, Ram and Vert. After that…"

The other Mina just looked away, her hands trembling.

"…what? What happened?" The Mina of the Hyperdimension asked the other Mina quietly, her tone soft and gentle.

The other Mina only looked the woman opposite her in the eye, small signs of tears in her eyes.

"…they were publically executed in a ritual to bring back Arfoire."

Mina felt the floor drop out from under her, and she was thankful that there was a chair to keep her legs from giving way.

"…even…?" Mina asked the question with her eyes, not daring to let the words slip out from her lips.

Her other self just bit her lip and nodded. "…the Candidates got the better treatment."

Mina leaned back in her chair, trying to process it all. As her brain suddenly came to a realization, she leaned back forward and slammed her hands onto the table. "Wait! Then why are you here?! Are they planning to-"

"Shh." The other Mina just hushed her with a finger over her lips. "Sit back down and calm yourself. This is where I make a request of you."

Mina complied, sitting back down onto her chair and taking a deep breath, trying to steady her heart. "…a request, you say?"

"Yes. You see, I'm looking for someone. He's a boy who goes by the name of Akai Gurren." The other Mina replied, leaning forward and clasping her hands together with her fingers intertwined. "Do you know him?"

"Hmm…no, I don't." Mina said, her mind drawing a complete blank at the name. "Why are you looking for him?"

"He's the key to saving our world, or the key to destroying it completely." She replied grimly.

"What do you mean? Explain it to me." Mina replied skeptically, leaning in and eyeing her alternate doubtfully.

"…Akai is a resident from a dimension where CPUs do not exist. He is not inclined to believe in the goddesses. However, we discovered that the CFWs had sent men into Akai's world in order to examine him. We didn't know why, so we had to observe him as well." The other Mina began, crossing one leg over the other. "There, we discovered that Akai was eliciting responses from a shard of Sharicite that the observers had brought with them to experiment on him with."

"Responses?" Mina asked, confused again.

"The Sharicite was dormant, locked in a state of eternal sleep after the CPUs were killed. However, it began to glow faintly when in close proximity with him." The jumpsuit-wearing Oracle said. "The scientists left in a panic after learning that. However, I know they're plotting something involving Akai since they had come back to observe him one more time before they left him alone."

Mina leaned backwards on her chair, the sound of the creaking wood breaking the heavy silence that followed the alternate Mina's words. "…so, this boy named Akai…he can resonate with the Sharicite?"

"Yes. Though the reason why is currently unknown, our Histoire has deduced the possibility of the interference by a CPU that does not hail from any of the previously mentioned dimensions." The alternate Mina added.

"A CPU from another dimension…" Mina trailed off, her thoughts still whirling around as she tried to grasp all of the information her ears had flooded her brain with. As she took another look at her alternate self, she only felt emotion beginning to well up within her once again.

Though they looked the same, the impression that the other Mina gave off at first glance was literally worlds apart. She had a number of battle scars that ran over parts of her face, marring the flawless beauty that she once had. Her hair had been let loose from their normal ponytails, and had allowed to let loose as it flowed down to her hips. Hair strands stood up and stuck out, clearly the aftereffect of battles and a lack of sleep.

Her body was far more toned and muscular than the body of the Mina from the Hyperdimension, and one could clearly tell the difference just by looking at the leather jumpsuit that looked so tight around the alternate Mina's body that it seemed as if the outfit cut off her blood.

But the biggest difference was in the way that she carried herself and the vibe she gave off.

With the Mina from Hyperdimension, a vibe could easily be felt that reminded one of their own mother. A nurturing, caring and soothing vibe that relaxed the mind, body and soul.

However, Mina II's vibe was that of a war veteran. It was mixed with sadness, strife and weariness. Her eyes were deep, and looked like they were tinted with regret and apprehension.

The eyes of a person who has seen and experienced things that no one should go through.

On the left breast of Mina II's jumpsuit, something caught Mina's eye.

It was a logo that was printed onto the leather. The logo, unlike the brown and white leather, was a bright blue snowflake.

But behind the snowflake were two swords crossed behind it. One sword was light pink, the other light blue. Their crossguards were red.

"What is that symbol?" Mina asked out of curiosity, pointing at the other woman's chest.

Mina II just looked at it, sighed, and then looked back at Mina with a saddened smile. "It is my symbol."

"Symbol?"

"Yes. I am one of the four Insurgents of Gamindustri, the others being Kei, Mina and Chika." Mina II said, and she placed her hand onto the symbol. "We lead the resistance movement against ASIC known as the Faithful, and are the creators of the last city that stands against the CFWs, the city of Gekko. The Faithful are the last of the citizens that have the will and the strength left to fight against the cruel dictatorship of fear that Linda and Pirachu have created for themselves, and it is our duty as Insurgents and former Oracles to stand by those who oppose Arfoire and her group."

"…sounds a lot like the doujins that Lady Blanc posts on Wattpad and " Mina replied half-jokingly, and every ounce of seriousness just somersaulted out of the window.

"She still does that?" Mina II asked, wide eyed with a grin that clearly looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"Mhm." Mina nodded almost disapprovingly, crossing her arms as she did. I don't mind that she has a creative outlet to express herself, but the themes she writes about are sometimes too extreme, even for her."

"I know what you mean." Mina II replied, laughing. "I remember when I found an ero-book once that was written under her pen name!"

"Yeah! And if you look through her bookmarks, she clearly has too many 18+ ones!" Mina shot back, giggling.

"Well, it's not like the age restriction actually matters to her. She can have all the membership on Fakku she wants." Mina II replied, and Mina just laughed harder at the statement.

"…would you like some tea?" Mina asked her opposite, and she nodded.

Mina stood up and walked towards the wooden table a short distance away, and she began pouring a cup of tea from the porcelain set placed there.

Bringing back two cups, she handed one to her guest before sitting back down in her seat. "Well, just let me know if you need any more help. For now, you can stay with me here in secret. I'll try and find this Akai you're looking for."

Mina II nodded gratefully, her lips sealed by the hot drink in her hand.

The Oracle sat down and took a deep breath, her hands going for the steaming warm cup of tea. Letting the sip of tea wash her parched throat, her mind began to rewind through the conversation she'd just had.

"…can you tell me more about this Akai fellow?" Mina asked Mina II, who just placed the cup of tea down and looked at her host with attentiveness.

"Oh, well…" Mina II leaned back in her chair and looked to the sky, as if she were recalling or reminiscing something difficult to remember. "He's a black-haired individual with a slight tan, and he's a teenager. Sixteen or seventeen, if I recall."

"Hmm…tell me." Mina leaned forward intently. "Why is he so important? Is there something else?"

"Well…" Mina looked back at her. "Histoire analyzed Akai from a distance, so it's hard to say. However, we have discerned that he has a strange yet important ability that can make the war turn in our favor.

"Really? That one boy has something that powerful?"

"Yes. Though we're not sure how because we haven't been able to observe him up close." Mina II said, taking another sip from her cup of tea. "However, we can tell that he has the ability to copy the powers of whoever he chooses and make them his own."

Mina tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Mina II just sighed and shot a look at the Oracle of Lowee. "Think about it. He can copy the powers of whomever he chooses. Even a CPU."

* * *

"Damn it!"

Chika clicked her tongue and dove to the right.

And the spot she had just been standing in was engulfed in a plume of fire that rose stories high.

"Chika, give it up. I have no desire to kill you." Her adversary, CFW Brave, stated. He pulled his sword out of the ground and pointed it towards the Insurgent of Leanbox.

"Strange words from the loyal bloodhound of Magic." Chika spat back, holding her hand up and sending several tornadoes towards Brave.

CFW Brave immediately pulled his sword out and slashed, cutting the gusts of wind and dispersing them like dandelions. He charged Chika and swung his blade, which Chika parried with her spear and then ducked and rolled in between the CFW's legs.

Turning around, Chika pulled the pin on two grenades and tossed them towards the back of her enemy. As they exploded, Brave grunted in pain and spun around, and the lion on his chest opened its mouth. A bright ball of energy gathered instantaneously in its fangs before Brave let out a yell, and a wide, bright beam of white light shot towards the former Oracle of Leanbox.

Planting the spear into the ground, Chika gritted her teeth as the beam of light struck the pole and separated in two directions and away from her.

"What the hell are you even doing here?!" Chika screamed at her enemy as the beam of light faded away, pulling out her spear and charging him once again. "I thought you and your friends would be thinking up new failures to try and bring back your lady!"

"I came to assist Judge on Linda's orders." He replied flatly before smashing his sword into the body of Chika's pole arm. He dug his feet into the ground as he began to feel himself getting pushed back.

"Loyal, aren't you? Little bitch!" Chika raged, and she shoved Brave hard. He skidded away a good fifty feet, and he fell to one knee for a single, crucial moment.

Chika then twirled her spear and pressed a button on the weapon. Instantly, the spear suddenly bent back into the shape of a bow. A string made of pure plasma energy blinked into existence, and Chika drew out a single arrow.

"You talk of justice, but you killed a bunch of girls to fuel your ambition!" Chika hissed in anger, and she nocked the arrow into the string of her bow. "You're nothing but a hypocrite!"

As the arrow flew through the air towards the CFW, it suddenly broke into an innumerable amount of fragmented shards and then began orbit him at high speed.

"Wh-what is this?!" Brave cried out in bewilderment, getting to his feet and casting his gaze all around him.

Suddenly, all of the bits and pieces stopped moving and then transformed into spears. Each every one orbited him at the same speed as a lightning bolt.

"An ability that only my Lady and I knew. And it's the same one I'm going to use to defeat you." Chika said, and she lowered the bow in her hand. It morphed back into the spear. "Ouroborous Arrow."

As the last syllable left her lips, each and every spear flew with fatal speed and precision towards Brave. They began sinking into every part of his body, from every angle, and sticking out on the opposite end.

"Agh!" The CFW cried out in pain and shock, and he dropped to his knees. His sword planted into the ground in an effort to stay upright, the robot looked like a porcupine that was stabbed to death like a pincushion.

Chika raised her spear and steadied her grip, her eyes locked onto the now vulnerable Brave. As she raised the spear with the tip pointing to the sky, she felt a surge of power from her body transfer into the weapon in her hands.

As the blade of the spear began to shine with dark green light, Chika readied her arm and took a final glance at the CFW on his knees.

"…I have lost." Brave said, and Chika could see a very faint trace of a smile on his face.

She threw the spear.

It pierced the CFW through the lion's mouth, and he convulsed once as the spear struck him before he began to fall forward, limp.

And then he exploded in a massive glow of green energy that sent trails and blasts of similarly green energy all around Chika.

Chika immediately walked towards to the smoking crater where Brave had stood, where nothing but her spear and Brave's sword remained.

As she pulled her spear back to her, she took a single, final glance towards the blade of the CFW that was planted into the ground.

"…sorry I made your death anti-climactic." Chika muttered apologetically before she turned to her communicator. "Kei. Chika here. How's things on your end?"

"Alright." Kei's voice came over the other end of the line, almost drowned out by the sound of men crying out in pain and the sound of gunshots. "Judge has retreated, but there are still a ton of men to deal with. Fortunately, the remaining citizens should now be all within safety, so we can eliminate them with ease."

"Got it. I'm on my way to help you."

* * *

"Man, this place is massive!" Akai cried out as he spun on his heel, admiring the view of the park and letting it sink in rapidly. He laughed out loud, and then his eyes locked onto his companion. "You were right! This place is really much more awesome when you go out and do whatever you want!"

IF just gave him an amused smile. "Well, it **is **an amusement park in Planeptune. Expect nothing less, Akai."

Akai just nodded in agreement before he took another glance around him, this one more wary and cautious. "You think they'll get mad if they find us?"

"Sure as hell. You **did **ditch your date." IF replied, giggling. "No matter the woman, any and all would agree that you shouldn't do something like that."

"Fine. But I don't deserve someone's love, especially someone like Neptune. She's too awesome." Akai replied, a hint of guilt in his voice.

"Wh-why? You're pretty cool yourself, you know." IF consoled, feeling her heart leap again at the embarrassment of saying the compliment.

"…nah. I'm just some guy. My brothers and sisters are more amazing than I am." Akai said, sadness and resignation etched in his voice. "My personality is just so bland compared to them, you know? I'm that kind of guy that everyone just ignores and moves away from. I'm more inclined to help people than to be helped."

"…is that really what you think you are?" IF replied, looking him strangely in the eye.

"Yeah. Truth is truth, no matter the dimension. I'm still me." Akai replied, shrugging. His eyes wandered, and then focused on a ride with very little people in line. "Hey, let's go on that."

"Oh, the Ferris wheel here is pretty good too." IF said as she followed Akai's gaze to the circle of steel that rotated lazily. "If we're lucky, we can catch a glimpse of all of Planeptune."

"If we're lucky?" Akai asked as they began walking over to the admission. He politely nodded to the cashier and handed him some Credits, and the man opened the bar to let them into the cars.

"Sometimes, the weather just doesn't agree." IF replied with a smile as she entered a car and sat down, moving inside and making herself comfortable.

"I see. Oh, apparently there's drinks as well." Akai noted, crouching down and opening a drink cabinet that was erected in the middle of the floor. Opening it, Akai widened his eyes at the amount of alcohol that was stashed inside.

"Whoa, what is it?" IF asked, and she crouched behind Akai. "Oh, wow. This looks kinda like something Vert would drink."

_Vert, huh? Yeah, I can imagine that. _Akai thought with a grin. "Well, since it's here, why don't we try a sip or two?"

"Sure thing. Just warning you now, though, that I can keep up my alcohol." IF teased, pulling out a bottle.

"I'll have you know that I've never gotten drunk." Akai took her up on her offer and took the bottle from her, uncorking it with his thumb effortlessly.

IF blinked in surprise before reaching back down and pulling out two wine glasses. "Well, then. Let's give it a shot."

* * *

**Five minutes later…**

"And you know, Compa…all she does is talk about her damn old geezer!"

…_how did it come to this? _Akai wondered as he looked out the window of the car while trying his utter best to ignore the drunk brunette that was clinging onto him and ranting like she was mad and the world cared.

After a few sips, the two had begun to get really daring and began taking their own bottles. Akai had finished three bottles in the span of a minute, and his head didn't even hurt or throb at all.

But challenging IF to do the same showed a different result.

"Agh, it's too hot in this fuckin' thing!" IF groaned, and she stood up abruptly and kicked a bottle that was next to her foot.

She then proceeded to remove her coat.

_Well…she looks good in that, at least. _Akai contemplated stopping her for a moment, and then slumped back down in his seat and leaned onto the support. _As long as she doesn't-_

IF then proceeded to attempt to remove her tank top.

"Waitwaitwaitwait, stop!" Akai, flustered and caught off guard, stood up and grabbed her by the forearms to stop her from doing that. "Don't take that off, we're in public!"

"We've got, like, fifteen minutes for this whole ride, you know?" IF said, her drunken voice mixed with a matter-of-fact tone that made it sound comical. "I'm gonna melt if I don't cool off."

_...we have fifteen minutes? _

"Well, for starters, keep the tank top on." Akai said, trying to keep his hands from making any contact with her exposed midriff, which looked dangerously appealing.

Keeping his eyes away from the girl in the car made his view get taken up by the sight below them that was Planeptune and the entire amusement park lit up at night.

The city was bright and white against the backdrop of dark blue that the sky offered, and the palette of varying shining lights twinkled so bright it was as if it had been polished by nature. High buildings rose up, their windows glimmering with the shining reflections of the light that the city emanated. The Planeptune Tower stood out, rising like a skyscraper towards the star-filled sky that stretched out for miles with no end in sight.

The pulsing, soft glow of the buildings was augmented in intensity by the blinking light of the cars that passed by below as well, their headlights turning on and off periodically in every direction imaginable.

"…well, at least you were right about the view up here." Akai muttered softly, looking out the window and letting his breath get stolen by the magnificence.

"…you treat me like a woman."

That line brought Akai's attention to IF, who was now standing silently next to him with a red face that clearly indicated her intoxication. Her face, while he was not conscious of it earlier, was quite close to his. Her skin was smooth and fair, white like ivory with a heavy blush like roses staining the surface.

She moved closer to Akai, pressing her body against his. He could feel the feminine sensation of her small chest slowly pressing into his side. He felt the car rising in several thousand degrees as her hot, panting break snaked along his skin like an erotic serpent.

"…you treat me like a woman, but you're too insensitive to realize how much I like you, you stupid idiot!" Those words left her lips in an angry, drunken stupor that made the feelings of guilt spring once again in Akai's chest.

He looked her in the eye, and IF began to let tears run down her cheeks. She lowered her head, pressing it into Akai's chest, and wrapped her arms around him. Hugging him closely like a stuffed toy, she began to hiccup as the tears flowed out.

Akai could feel the tears dampening his chest, and it felt like they were working their way into his heart to ignite that flame of guilt that still burned brightly.

_Akai, are you just going to stand here and let her suffer more?! This is all your fault for being so stupid! _

_It doesn't matter now whether or not the person she chose to fall in love with is plain or amazing! It's her choice to fall in love with who she loves! Are you going to let those feelings hurt her even more?! _

His fists clenched and his teeth gritted as he felt the guilt begin to dissipate in his chest, replaced by a powerful, burning resolve. He felt his body shaking in anticipation, nervousness and fear.

But he knew that he had to take responsibility.

"…that night…I heard you." Akai felt the words leave his lips, and it felt like Atlas had taken the weight of the sky from his shoulders, placed it upon the young boy's, and then taken it back.

IF's grip, already tight as it clutched at his shirt, suddenly slackened for a moment. They tightened again, and this time stronger than before.

IF looked up at him with an expression of shock, her eyes still tearing and nose red from crying. "…you…"

"I'm sorry, IF. I am just…so sorry." Akai said, his voice becoming filled with regret and guilt.

The two stared at each other, and it felt like time had stopped in place.

"…you're a jerk." IF said, a smile suddenly spreading out on her face. She raised her hand to the back of Akai's head, and she ran it through his raven-black hair.

"…sorry." Akai replied sheepishly, sharing her smile as he enclosed his arms around her body and hugged her closer to his frame. "I-"

"Be quiet." IF suddenly cut him off, placing her finger over his lips and shutting him up. "Keep apologizing, and you'll ruin the moment."

And for a while, they stood there for god only knows how long with their bodies pressed against one another and their arms wrapped around each other.

Or at least, that's how it felt to them.

"…I understand that you're new to relationships, and you're inexperienced with women." IF said, and she lowered her arms and slipped out of Akai's grasp. She took a step back and smiled, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. "So…maybe I won't ask you to go out with me."

"Wha-?!" Confusion was the perfect word for how Akai felt. "But, isn't that, like, where these kinds of situation go?"

"This isn't a movie, you idiot." IF laughed, poking him on the nose. "But just remember that I'm probably in love with you, you idiot."

"…I'll be sure to remember that." Akai said, a smile on his face as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, and just to make sure you remember…" IF's words trailed off, and Akai tilted his head in confusion.

Her arm, faster than wind, suddenly reached forward and grabbed him by the collar oh his shirt. Pulling his face down to hers, she wrapped her lips around his.

That kiss lasted for five seconds before IF pushed him back away and laughed. "God, I can't believe I had to pretend to be drunk to get this right."

That statement sent Akai, who was just about to hand IF's coat back to her, reeling in shock. "W-wait, what?! You-?!"

"Oh, around fifty percent of that was scripted. The rest was…natural." IF admitted, snatching the coat from his hands and grinning cheekily.

"…damn it, I couldn't tell at all." Akai confessed, laughing in spite of himself.

"Well-wait, what are you doing?"

Akai, suddenly on alert at the sound of IF's voice becoming wary, looked at her.

Her gaze was directed at his body.

He looked down, and he realized that his body was glowing faintly. "Wh-what's going-"

_**Condition 1: Clear. **_

_Wait, what's that voice? That's not my voice! _

Akai's hands went to his head as he felt a deep voice suddenly speak in his mind.

_**Condition 2: Clear. Initiating Maker sequence.**_

_What the hell?! _

**_Sequence starting. _**

As the voice stopped speaking, Akai immediately began to feel his body growing warmer and warmer. It soon began to feel hot to the touch, and IF took an alarmed step back as the heat radiated outwards.

"What's happening?!" She cried out in bewilderment, on the verge of panic.

A surge of energy suddenly climbed inside Akai, and he felt himself suddenly getting stronger. He felt his vision sharpen, his reaction time quickening, and his muscles hardening.

And suddenly, the light was gone.

"What just happened?" IF asked, still eyeing Akai cautiously as she walked closer to him. "You alright?"

"Yeah…I feel good, actually." Akai replied, looking down at his body.

While his build was slim and his muscles were already fit and healthy, he suddenly become robust in his build. His muscles stood out clearly, defined and rippling with strength. He could feel his ab muscles and was conscious of his chest muscles as well, both practically giving off energy and health.

"…is it me, or do you look…a little different?" IF asked, her hand feeling up is arm. "Your muscles weren't this strong earlier."

"…oh well, whatever." Akai replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "If I got stronger, that's okay, right?"

"You're awfully easygoing about this." IF remarked, sighing and putting on her coat. "I **do **like that about you, though."

"Err…" Akai shot her an iffy look. "Are you going to be like that all the time now?"

"What's wrong with me being honest?" IF replied, smiling. "I'll be wearing my heart on a sleeve now, so be prepared."

"…just do me a favor and don't rile up Neptune." Akai sighed.


	18. Chapter 17: Movement II

**Chapter 17: Movement II**

"You were right about the view." Akai grinned as the pair walked off of the car that leveled with the platform. He sidestepped a small child that ran past him and shouted as excitedly as a small child could possibly shout. He raised a hand to his ringing ear, massaging the pain away. "It was really spectacular up there."

"Told you." IF said, grinning as she stepped down and followed a step behind Akai as they walked towards the exit of the attraction. "I remember that view since I was here a few times before."

"Well, glad to hear it." Akai laughed, raising his arms and placing his palms behind his head. "I would have hated to go here without having any idea what to do and where to go."

"You came here with a date, you know." IF teased, grabbing his arm and cuddling up to him with a widening smile. "And you ditched her for another woman, you sleazy dirtbag."

"Well, I just hope she doesn't kill me too hard." Akai chuckled worriedly, suddenly becoming conscious of the feminine sensation that was assaulting his left arm.

IF took a glance forward, and then released her grip on Akai before backing away quickly. She winked at him and grinned in what looked like apology. "Then you'd better pray hard right now."

Akai shot her a confused look. "What are you-"

"AKAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

A screech that ran so loudly that Akai felt his very body blown back as if struck by the roar of a Tigrex. He felt his ears, one still ringing from the cries of children, now almost deafened by the high-pitched roar.

A sudden gust of wind tousled his hair for a moment, and he felt the brief current tickle his neck for an instant.

And then the sensation of a wrecking ball smashing into his gut sent lightning bolts of pain into his abdomen. It was all he could do to make sure that his legs kept him standing, and he grit his teeth to bear with the pain.

As he looked down, he could see the angry, slightly teary face of the CPU of Planeptune staring up at him with puffed cheeks.

"Damn you! Don't leave me behind, you cheater! You get a 100,000 level decrease as a penalty! Your stats will be so horrible that even a Metapod can beat you!" She yelled loudly, and she drove a fist into Akai's side and began grinding it painfully. As she began to throw a fit, her voice began to grow so loudly that Akai could sense the piercing glances and stares of the people around him.

"What the heck are you doing, leaving her alone?! Are you this bad at dates?!" Akai looked up from the purple-haired girl trying to mess up his organs with her knuckles to see Nisa following closely behind.

She stopped running and bent over, taking exhausted breaths as she tried to regain her composure. As she did, Akai saw Vert, Noire and Gust subtly following in the crowd.

A subtle motion of the head from the Lastation CPU told Akai what she wanted.

…do you think I can just ditch them that easily? He complained in his mind, glancing at the girls that were surrounding him.

"…IF, I need to talk to Noire and Gust for a bit." Akai whispered, pulling IF closer to him and speaking with his lips closer to her ear. "Distract them for me, please."

"Sure, but…" IF shot him a teasing smile. "Do you really think you can get away with shooting for more girls after what you just did today?"

"…that's not why I'm going, and you know that." Akai replied, flicking her on the forehead with his finger.

IF just let out a squeak of protest as his finger smacked her skin. She just sighed and smiled at him. "Fine, fine. I'll take care of it, so head over there."

"Thanks." Akai said, and he winked before he quickly darted around IF and mixed into the crowd. Dodging and weaving citizen after citizen, he quickly made his way through the mass of noisy, excited mix of child, teenager and adult alike.

Emerging on the other side, he quickly shot a subtle glance towards the Lastation CPU who was waiting for him a short distance away. Their eyes met, and Akai gestured to the food court.

Noire nodded before turning around and alerting Gust and Vert, who were standing next to her and looking at someplace else.

Akai sighed and walked towards the nearest vendor, a French fries specialty vendor. Quickly ordering the largest size and a drink, he handed over the Credits and took the paper cup before taking a quick sip and letting out another sigh of relaxation.

"Man, I really need a good night's sleep after this." He looked up at the sky, which was already dark and alight with stars. "I need to get home soon for that, though."

"Goodness, you're a real handful." Akai chuckled at the sound of Noire's exasperated, tired response. He turned to look at her, smiled, and then turned back as the vendor handed him his order. Noire just walked next to him, her gaze piercing him. "And I get the feeling you're only going to get more and more tiresome."

"Well, I apologize for being who I am." Akai's comeback was accompanied with the motion of holding out the container of fries. "Want some? Cheese flavored."

"…sure." Noire took one from the paper container and popped it in her mouth. Almost as if swallowing it whole, she chewed once and gulped it down before turning her attention back to the boy. "We need to talk."

"Alright." Akai replied, taking another sip from his beverage before pointing with his hand at one of the vacant tables. "But it's around dinner time, so how about we discuss this over dinner?"

"Hmm…actually, I'd much prefer having this discussion over a dinner in the Basilicom." Noire replied, shaking her head.

"Fine. I'll have to cook, though, so you'll have to wait for a while." Akai replied before he took the bag back in hand.

"So, we're heading to Basilicom first?" Akai turned to see Gust standing behind him, and she quickly snatched the plastic bag out of his hands and grabbed a handful of fries. "I have heard good things about your cooking, boy. Gust hope this is true."

Akai just laughed, and quickly took the plastic bag away from the brown-haired alchemist. "If you take what's mine, I won't give you any food."

The sight of Vert standing behind Noire caught Akai's attention as he turned around. He walked forward and offered her an outstretched hand.

"Hi, name's Akai. Pleased to make your acquaintance, lady Vert." He said, bowing and speaking respectfully.

"Oh, what's this?" Vert replied, surprised. "I didn't expect that kind of greeting."

"Sorry, would you rather I greet you normally?" Akai replied, retracting his hand and smiling.

"Yes, though I do appreciate the effort you made." Vert said to humor him, smiling with her typical rich-lady aura pouring in bucket-loads around her. "It seems as though I don't have to introduce myself."

"Would you like to join us for dinner at the Planeptune Basilicom, Vert?" Akai asked, firing a carefree grin at the Leanbox CPU.

"Hmm…sure, I will take you up on that offer. I am to speak with you along with these ladies, anyway, and it would be rude to leave now." She said, gesturing to Noire and Gust. Vert shot a sidelong, very obvious glance in the direction where Akai had left Neptune. "Shouldn't we take the host of the house, though?"

"She can catch up later." Akai pressed, growing slightly anxious. "Come on, follow me."

* * *

"Whoa, it smells really good!" Aoi cried out excitedly, sniffing the delicious scent that danced in the air that was drifting from the open door of the kitchen. "I can't wait! Hurry up, Akai!"

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on, Aoi, I still have to get the spices right." Akai called back out, the sound of the sizzling frying pan and the ding of the oven slightly drowning out the sound of his voice.

"Fine, but I'm hungry!" She pouted in return, sitting back down in the dining room and clasping her eating utensils in her hands like an excited infant.

"Well, I would never have believed that this girl was a Dogoo." Noire commented, her gaze fixed on the small brunette that was paying the Lastation CPU nearly no heed. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs, one hand placed onto the table.

"I must agree." Vert added, stroking her chin as she stared at the little girl in fascination. Leaning forward, Vert peered with curiosity at the little girl.

"Gust must perform experiment with both little girl and Akai someday." Gust laughed, her eyes twinkling in anticipation. "Gust is sure that she will receive very interesting results."

"Please don't talk so casually about performing experiments with human subjects." Aoi replied, her aura immediately changing as she regarded Gust with caution and wariness.

Vert widened her eyes, and a smile crept upon her lips. "Interesting, she is. Neptune and Histoire should have told me about this sooner."

"Don't just assume he's harmless, Vert." Noire shot back. "We don't know why he's here, and if he truly has good intentions."

"But you saw him earlier." Vert replied, staring back at the twin tailed girl with challenge twinkling in her eyes. "I don't think any bad person would merit enough love to earn a kiss from IF."

Noire glared at her warningly. "That's-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" The sound of Akai approaching stopped the conversation in its tracks. The girls returned to their former relaxed positions as Akai drew closer with a tray full of food.

"Whoa, I've never seen you make this stuff!" Aoi's voice rose in more and more excitement, her eyes sparking at the sight of the feast being laid out in front of her. "What did you cook?"

"Over there is some spring chicken, and there's also some grilled salmon and angel hair pasta with pesto sauce." Akai stated proudly, his hand gesturing towards each one as he mentioned it. "Now, hang here while I go get the juice."

With that, he ran back into the kitchen and dashed back out so quickly that one would imagine that he'd just done it for fun. With four glasses in one hand and a pitcher in the other, he quickly distributed them and poured a share in each before taking a seat.

"Now, dig in before it gets cold." Akai offered as he leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his glass.

"Thanks for the food!" With that united statement from all of the people at the table, they began to eat.

"…so, what's this you wanted to talk about?" Akai began, turning to Noire, who sat across from him.

"…remember that vial?" Noire asked, cutting a piece of chicken with a knife as she spoke.

"Yeah. Can't say I forgot." Akai replied, nodding as he reached over and took the bowl of rice.

"That solution is hardwired to make people fall in with you." Gust cut in, having just swallowed a spoonful of rice. "Magic and science combined expertly to hit people where it matters. It's effective and impossible to rewrite. Gust has never seen such complexity before. We even had Vert look at the spells interwoven into the liquid solution."

"Not only did it have chemicals that directly affected the brain," Vert supported Gust's statement as she pointed her fork at Akai to accentuate her point. "But it also had several magic spells that were made to make people fall in love. There are three different spells enchanted into the vial, and one has two different versions acting simultaneously."

"…I kinda knew that it makes people fall in love, but I didn't know how detailed it got." Akai replied, chuckling as he took another sip from his glass and took a large forkful of the pesto for himself.

"Gust saw fit to test it on Nisa, which would probably explain why she was acting strangely earlier as well." Noire injected, earning a silent glare from the short alchemist. The raven haired woman just ignored it and cut a chunk of salmon for herself.

"…well, I'm not going to ask about that." Akai replied, laughing. His gaze refocused on the three of them in general, glancing at each one. "Rather, I'd like to know when the effects will wear off."

"The effects **should **wear off tomorrow." Vert replied, pouring more beverage in her glass. "You'll just have to bear with anything else she does for the night, and it should be fine. Nisa will be the same."

"Thank goodness." Akai sighed, slumping in relief and placing a single spaghetti string into his mouth. Slurping up the rest, he let out a satisfied breath and reached for his glass again. "I don't think it's good for my inner male to bear the brunt of that for too long."

As Akai reached to cut another piece of salmon, he realized that Aoi was eyeing him strangely. He turned to her, only to see a teasing grin on her face.

"You've certainly been busy, haven't you?" She smiled sharply, almost wickedly, as she focused solely on Akai. She nocked her elbows onto the table and rested her chin onto her palms. "In one move, you've obtained the ultimate playboy weapon. You can have a one-night stand with anyone, now."

"Like hell I'm gonna use it for that!"

* * *

"Ugh…"

Akai groaned as he rolled over once in his bed, and he looked around the room sleepily as best as his drowsy eyes would allow. The sunlight poured in from the window, serving to light up the world beautifully. Or, at least, as beautiful as nature would allow a bedroom to look.

"Damn, what time is-" Akai rolled around and was about to get up when he realized something that forced him to stop in his tracks.

A very warm sensation. Soft, smooth and oh so warm.

And it was radiating from something close to his left hand.

Looking down at his left hand, he felt his nerves shot as his gaze ran over the bizarre sight of a large object covered entirely in his bed sheets.

It looked way too much like a body for comfort.

…_please, don't let it be-_

As Akai drew back the sheets, he drew a sharp intake of breath and tried his best not to comment.

Neptune was sleeping there, her hair mussed and drool leaking out of her open, gaping mouth. Her arms were wrapped around Akai's lower body, and her forehead was leaning onto his hip.

"…damn it…" Akai cursed in a whisper as he beheld the CPU of Planeptune while she slumbered so peacefully that he almost didn't want to wake her.

The fact that she appeared to be in nothing but her light pink underwear did not help the case one bit.

…_she's really exposed. _Akai thought to himself as he scanned the bare skin that was vacant to the sunlight stretching through the window. Her skin had a strange shiny luster to it, as if she were a model in a tanning booth. It looked surprisingly smooth, and almost beckoning to Akai with its ever present extremely faint blush.

"…mrrgghhh…." A groan came from Neptune's mouth as she slowly began to rise, and she let out a massive yawn that made her mouth look as if it were dislocated at the jaw. She unconsciously removed her hands from Akai and stretched them out to the sky, and then she stopped yawning.

One second of silence passed as Neptune slowly panned the room, and then her vision stopped on Akai, who was still in his own sleepwear.

Another second of silence passed as she stared at him. She then looked down at herself, and then she looked back at him.

Her face reddened so quickly that it was almost like as if a bucket of paint was thrown onto her.

"Wawawawawawawawa-WHAT?!" With a shrill cry that sounded like it could kill a bird, Neptune leaped away from the bed with the bed sheets in tow. Wrapping them around herself so quickly she was almost literally a tornado of cloth, Neptune peeked out from the cover that draped over her head and pointed her finger at him accusingly. "Wh-wh-what's go-going on here?! H scenes don't happen until the love gauge is at 100! What do you think you're trying to pull?!"

"Don't ask me!" Akai defended, still trying to keep his ringing ears from falling off at Neptune's unbelievably loud outburst. He pointed an accusing finger back at her. "I found you clinging to me this morning!"

"Lies! I would never do that, not even with Nepgear!" Neptune shot back, her voice only increasing in volume. "Not to disappoint your inner man and pervert, but I wouldn't do that unless I was either drunk or in love! And right now, I am currently sober, single and ready to mingle!"

…_looks like she's back to her old self. And it seems like she remembers nothing, too. _Akai thought to himself, relieved. He stood up from the bed and walked towards the closet, now ignoring the hysterical CPU in his bedroom.

"Look, I'm gonna shower and then make breakfast. It's either you stay here, or you go." Akai replied, opening up the closet door that held his shirts.

"Well…" Neptune trailed off, her gaze darting around the room so quickly it was like a cat following a laser pointer.

And suddenly, the sound of the door opening froze the two at once.

"Akai!" IF called out worriedly, walking inside. "What's wro-"

Her gaze met with Neptune's, and IF just fell silent. IF then looked at Akai, who just waved his hand in greeting.

"…did you do anything?" IF asked him flatly, her eyes almost piecing to Akai. He felt as if daggers were being sharpened on his skin.

"No, no, no, of course not!" He denied vehemently, shaking his hands to emphasize his point.

"…fine. Tell me when breakfast's done." She replied, smiling before she walked outside and closed the door.

Neptune just stared at the door in silence. "…why does it sound like she was expecting this to happen?"

_As expected of IF. She's level-headed._ Akai thought thankfully, expressing his gratitude to her in his mind. He turned back to Neptune, looked her over, and then walked back into the bathroom. A few seconds was all it took for him to grab a set of women's clothing that was leftover in the massive closet.

"Here, put this on." Akai offered the clothes to Neptune, placing them onto the top of her head before he walked back inside. "I'm going to shower, so go back first."

"Got it!" Neptune replied, her bubbly and energetic character returning to her almost instantly.

_She's easy to handle. _Akai thought before he shook his head whilst he left for the shower room.

* * *

"…Skype?" Histoire thought out loud as the sound of a phone ringing emanated from the speakers of her computer. Raising her eyebrow questioningly, she switched windows. "Oh, Mina?"

Clicking on the button, she was greeted with the view of the Oracle of Lowee sitting across her own laptop.

"Good morning, Histoire." Mina said, smiling as she waved her hand in greeting. "Are you doing well?"

"Good morning, Mina." Histoire replied, smiling. "I'm doing well. How about you?"

"I'm doing well." Mina replied, smiling back through the webcam. "Did I interrupt you during your work?"

"Not really." Histoire replied, glancing back at the stack of paperwork and the Microsoft Excel documents that were open at the moment before returning her gaze to Mina. "I could use a break, anyway. So, is there something you called to talk about? Or is this just a pleasantry?"

"Actually," Mina shifted in her chair and leaned forward. "Do you know some boy named…um, Akai Gurren?"

The question brought Histoire's eyebrow back up, and she shot Mina a look of intrigue. "Yes, I do. What of him?"

"Oh, you do!" Mina exclaimed, sounding relieved. "You see, an…associate of mine is looking for him and wishes to see him."

"…are you aware of who exactly this person is, Mina?" Histoire asked her doubtfully, eyeing the other Oracle through the camera. "You aren't even aware of-"

"I've told her the circumstances, Histoire." Histoire stopped at the sound of Mina's voice cutting her off, yet the Mina on her screen had not spoken at all.

"Mina? You're voice sounded different just now. And you didn't move your mouth." Histoire replied, dumbfounded, as she waved her hand in front of the webcam. "Are you lagging out?"

"No network problems, Histoire." And just like that, Histoire witnessed the sight of Mina scooting aside, and another Mina suddenly squeezing into the same chair. All on one screen.

"…care to explain this to me, Mina?" Histoire asked the Mina she knew, her head beginning to throb.

"I've told her everything I know about Akai." The alternate Mina replied in Mina's stead, and she pointed a finger at the Planeptune Oracle through the webcam. "I need to find him as soon as possible."

Histoire crossed her arms and gazed with suspicion at the alternate Mina. "…and why should I assist you?"

Mina just sighed and leaned back into the chair's backrest. "This is going to be a bit of a story. If I tell you why I need to find him, will you tell me where he is?"

"…" Histoire contemplated the matter in silence, staring into empty air whilst she did. She looked back at the blue-haired women staring into the webcam intently at her, and she just slumped and sighed. "Fine. Send me the story here. Type it out."

"Here." A single click came from the other end of the line, and a wall of text immediately popped into existence on the chatbox. Histoire grimaced, and then she let out another sigh before turning her line of sight back to the Minas.

"Akai is here, living in the Planeptune Basilicom right now. I've requested he stay here for observation a few weeks ago." Histoire said, her eyes darting back to the essay's worth of words that was present on the Skype chat.

"Alright. I'll be there in a bit." The alternate Mina thanked Histoire before getting out of the chair and leaving the original Oracle of Lowee in the webcam.

"…seems like you've had an interesting time yourself." Histoire said, her gaze once again flickering back forth between the stack of paperwork and the webcam. "If you'd like, you can accompany her. I doubt that you have a strenuous workload right now, and a break would be nice for the two of us."

"Hmm…alright, I'll take you up on that-"Suddenly, Mina stopped speaking and froze in place.

Histoire narrowed her eyebrows as Mina's microphone transmitted the sounds of people's voices. Faint, and faraway.

"…Blanc found her. Sorry, I have to go, Histoire!" Mina said hurriedly, and she quickly clicked the **end call **button before dashing out of her chair towards the exit.

As she opened the door, she saw Blanc, Rom and Ram standing in a triangular position surrounding Mina II.

"Ah, Mina." Blanc noticed her standing in the doorway, and folded her arms over her chest. "This doesn't seem like the usual stupidity that Rom and Ram put you through. Mind explaining it to me?"

Mina felt the strangely lethal aura that was pouring out from the Lowee CPU. She seemed inexplicably angry, and ready to kill.

The vibe sent a chill down her spine, and she felt the air growing colder and colder around her, and not just because it was Lowee.

"…yes, ma'am."

* * *

Morning had gone smoothly, and Akai was already enjoying the pleasant, relaxed vibe that was floating around the living room. He was sitting on the couch, mug of piping hot coffee in hand, as he watched Aoi game away while sitting on a floor cushion. Scattered around her were various bags of potato chips that had already been drilled through, and he furrowed his brows at the sight of crumbs on the rug.

"Aoi, clean up the carpet after this match." Akai called out, his gaze transferring to her online Tekken match. "This one is a promotional match, so I'll let you do this first."

"Fine, fine." She called back lazily, her fingers clattering away at the buttons so quickly it sounded like an assault rifle on full auto.

…_man, this is nice. _Akai smiled to himself, leaning back on the couch and indulging in a sip of the coffee in his hand.

"…come to think of it, where are the others?" Aoi asked, her gaze sweeping the room for an instant before she turned back to the match onscreen. "I haven't seen them all morning. And here they liked your breakfast."

"I'm not sure, actually." Akai said, his mind calling back the image of Neptune in his room. "I haven't really seen-"

"Although I do remember seeing Gust out here in the early morning." Aoi commented, and she glanced over at the far wall. "I remember her doing something over there, but I couldn't quite make out just what exactly she was doing."

Akai just stared suspiciously at the wall, trying to see if anything was particularly amiss.

No dice.

"Well, never mind that." Aoi decided, turning back around and making her character punch her enemy's face thrice before performing a sweeping kick. "You have more important matters to deal with right now. Like IF."

As the images of their night in the Ferris wheel car came back vividly like water colored paintings, Akai felt the heat go to his face. "He-hey! Where'd you-"

"Enjoying being a ladiesman, huh?" Aoi continued to tease Akai, and he could catch a glimpse of a wickedly sadistic grin on her face. "Well, with that vial of liquid, you can do whatever you want to whomever you want. Wouldn't blame you if you went around and started multiplying like a rabbit."

"Your vocabulary's certainly gotten colorful, hasn't it?" Akai groaned in reply, and he stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "I won't be doing stuff like that."

Aoi just laughed as she paused the game and stood up. "Well, if you did that, then I wouldn't be able to spend time with you like this." Scooting forward, she hugged Akai's body and smiled endearingly up at him. "So, do me a favor and don't do that."

"Uh…" Taken aback, Akai could only gulp down his saliva at the puppy dog eyes that Aoi was giving him.

"…Ah~." Seemingly disappointed, but at the same time smiling teasingly, Aoi separated herself from him. She winked at him and giggled. "Not like I can ask you to forsake the ability to do it with whoever you want."

"I'm not going to do that!" Akai replied, lightly swatting her on the top of her head. "I'm going to get some drinks, so just go back and do whatever."

"Got it." Aoi replied, and she skipped back to her cushion and sat back down.

_Geez…_Akai thought wearily to himself as he trudged into the kitchen. _I don't understand her…_

He walked over to the cupboard and opened it, pulling out two glasses. Placing it onto the tabletop, he walked around it and opened the refrigerator. He took a pitcher of water and brought it back to the glasses, and he began to pour his glass.

…_I don't understand, huh? Come to think of it, wasn't that the train of thought I was riding when I created that tablet that made Aoi turn into a little girl? _

Akai wondered this as he moved next to the other glass and began to pour the water.

…_is that how I still feel? And besides, I don't even know how I create those things. It's not like thinking the same thoughts and feeling the same feelings will give me what I want. _

Akai looked down at his open palm, and he clenched it into a fist.

…_do I still want to understand her the same way? _

And just like that, he felt a sudden loss of energy drain from his body. Swooning a bit, he grabbed the counter top and blinked as his vision blurred for a moment. He felt the pitcher suddenly weigh ten tons, and he almost dropped it to the floor. Managing to slam the object safely on the table, he winced as the unnerving sound of glass striking wood rung out.

"Damn, what the hell…?" Akai cursed as he steadied himself, and he stood back up straight and placed a hand onto his face as if to recuperate.

He felt a small object on his face in between his palm and the hand on his cheek, and he quickly plucked it. He held it away from his face and took a closer look at it.

It was another tablet.

The same kind that Aoi had taken before. The one that had led to her transformation into a human.

…_so just thinking the same thoughts can create the same things? _Akai thought grimly, beholding the white medicine tablet in his hand.

…_will it have the same effect? _

Walking over to the second glass, he dropped the tablet in the glass.

Instantly, the tablet fizzed as it hit the water, and it began to dissolve at high speed. Within five seconds, the tablet had all but disappeared.

The glass remained exactly the same. The water did not even appear different at all.

"…this is probably a bad idea." Akai muttered anxiously to himself as he picked up the glasses. Turning, he walked back into the kitchen.

"Here's the water." He called out to the girl sitting on the floor, still facing the screen.

"Got it." Aoi replied, and Akai witnessed her perform a ten-hit combo and demolishing her online opponent with ease before placing the controller onto the floor. She turned around, and she raised her hands to take the glass from his outstretched hand.

…_why am I doing this, again? _Akai thought to himself as he watched Aoi take the glass from him and slowly bring it to her lips.

He just watched silently as the Dogoo-girl brought the glass to her lips and slowly began to swallow the water mouthful by mouthful.

A few seconds was all it took for her to finish the glass.

She placed it back down onto the table and stood up. "I'm going to use the bathroom. Be back in a bit."

She skipped towards the bathroom, leaving Akai alone in the living room.

…_why did I do that? _He wondered again, completely mystified by his own actions. He glanced at the empty glass again, and he tilted his head in confusion at himself.

…_maybe I was just curious? _

Akai let out a big sigh and reached for the controller, and he initiated the next match. As the fight began, Akai began clattering away at the controller and watched his opponent stood back up, and he walked back into the kitchen. "I wonder where everyone else is…"

"Hey!" Suddenly, the voice of a woman whom Akai did not recognize boomed from behind him and shocked him. Not daring to tear his eyes from the screen as he ended round one, Akai froze in place save for his fingers.

Akai's thoughts flashed in alarm. _Who the hell is-wait, that voice sounds really-_

"Don't touch my game, Akai! I was going for the next round with no blocking!" The voice groaned in complaint, and Akai could tell the person who owned it was really close behind him.

…_there's no way…_

"By the way, my clothes don't fit me anymore. Mind if I look through the closet?"

Akai slowly turned around, and a girl stood there.

She was a teenage girl with fair, almost glossy skin that shone almost too strangely in the sunlight. Her hair was messy, almost like brown wildfire, and it stretched down to her hips.

She was also stark naked.

"…is there something wrong, Akai?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion while placing her hands on her hips. "You look like you've just seen a Mewtwo in tall grass or something."

"…for starters, let me make sure." Akai replied, placing his controller down on the cushion next to him. "You're Aoi, right?"

She just shot Akai a bewildered look. "What are you talking about?"

"…go put on some clothes."


	19. Chapter 18: Family or Not

**Chapter 18: Family or Not**

"Akai, what did you do to me?" Aoi asked out of pure curiosity, no animosity, as she looked down at her new form.

After having been prompted to get a change of clothes, Aoi was now wearing a cobalt cardigan over a sleeveless white shirt. To finish was a pair of blue sports shorts that cut off above the knee.

"I did nothing." Akai replied defensively, shrugging his shoulders. "But to be fair, I did create a tablet with my powers and dissolved it in your drink."

"So **that's **what happened." Aoi replied in realization, her voice left with a bit of wonder. She looked down at herself, and then grabbed the hairbrush that she'd placed on the table earlier before beginning to comb and straighten her hair.

Akai peered more closely at her, and his gaze wandered to her waist-long brown hair. "…how's it feel to have hair that long?"

"It's annoying to maintain. It catches in a lot of places, apparently." Aoi responded, clearly irritated as she began clawing at her long hair. "How the hell do the models do it?"

"They go through the hassle." Akai replied, shrugging and pointing towards the television monitor that still displayed the **Victory **screen from Akai's previous fight. "Hey, wanna go a round? Just the two of us?"

"…sure, let's go." Aoi replied nonchalantly. Walking around the table, she picked up the other controller and quickly began setting the match up. Her fingers now far faster than earlier, the character selection screen came up within a matter of seconds.

Akai looked through the roster, his eyes scanning the faces that showed up in the screen.

And his vision was suddenly blocked out by the color blue bulging outwards towards him like a pair of coconuts wrapped in cloth.

"…um, Aoi?" Akai asked uneasily, trying to make sure his eyes did not focus on what appeared to be Aoi's now extremely well-developed posterior. "Mind moving a bit?"

"Oh, sorry." Aoi replied, giggling. "I'm not used to being this tall yet."

She was now a little shorter than Akai, her chin being level with his Adam's apple. Her body was far more well-developed than what Akai would ever have expected of her, with an hourglass figure attractive enough to lure men of many age groups. With a surprisingly large bust and a shockingly toned butt, she was the kind of girl people would pay to live with.

And she immediately walked towards Akai and turned around once before sitting onto his lap.

"…" Akai tried his best not to be overly aware of the extremely feminine sensations that were rubbing against his body. He could detect the pleasant scent of flowers that was coming from the Dogoo-girl's body, and the smoothness of her skin that made contact with his skin. He could feel the heat of her body mingling with the heat from his, and it was driving his senses into a corner.

Most importantly, her ass was on his lap. And the man inside him was warning him that it would stir soon if something wasn't done.

"…this is a bit weird now." Aoi commented, looking down at their current state. "I don't think we should be doing this anymore."

"…perhaps it's for the best." Akai agreed readily, suppressing the urge to push her off with his hands. "Come on, let's start the-"

"Hey!" Suddenly, Akai froze in place as he heard IF's voice from somewhere behind him. He swiveled his head as fast as possible without allowing it to fly off, and he spotted her standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand.

She quickly strode over and peered down at Akai, her gaze accusing and piercing him like acupuncture all over. "What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Oh, we're doing a round of Tek-"

Suddenly, Akai felt his throat stop as Aoi suddenly turned in her seat and pressed her body onto his. The sensations multiplied by the thousands, and Akai felt the temptation and urges suddenly coming up like a wildfire from somewhere within.

The biggest sensation just happened to be two mountains of flesh pressing into his own body, and Akai was desperately shifting so that he wouldn't press his own mountain up into the owner of the mountains.

"We're just hanging out together." Aoi said to IF with a sleazy smile, and she leaned further forward and encircled Akai's neck with her arms. "And who might you be?"

_Aoi, what the hell?! _Akai wanted to scream and crawl away, but he caught a quick glimpse of Aoi's grin when it was directed at him.

It was sadistic, and ready to tease.

She let out a deep sigh and tilted her head lazily at IF, and she pressed her body further and further into Akai's. "Is there something we can help you with?"

IF just glared down at her, and Aoi stared back as if ready to challenge her. "…for starters, who are you? I haven't seen you before."

"Ah~ You're just so ready to challenge, huh?" Aoi groaned lazily, and she placed her hand onto Akai's chest and began drawing slow circles. "Why so defensive? Afraid I'm gonna steal your man?"

Instantly, a new aura began to emerge from IF, and Akai began to feel the bloodlust emanating from her. Slight shivers ran back down his neck and his back, and he felt like dying on the spot.

And suddenly, the aura disappeared within the span of a single second.

"He's not my man. Though that'd be nice." IF replied, leaning on one leg and crossing her arms across her chest. She shot Akai a sidelong glance, blushed a bit, and then looked back at Aoi. "Now…mind telling me what's with the new look, Aoi?"

"Ah, you noticed?" She said disappointedly, grinning as she continued to cling onto Akai. "Did I scare you?"

Before anything else could be said, the sound of the door swinging open turned all of their heads towards the main entrance.

"Mm~" Neptune walked in, humming a tune to herself as she casually strode into the room with a mug of hot chocolate in hand.

As she caught sight of the three, she stopped in place.

"…Akai, you playboy." She said flatly, and she brought the mug to her lips.

She then drank the whole thing in a single swig and threw to the side, and then she pointed her finger at Akai.

"AKAI, YOU HEARTBREAKER! ENEMY OF WOMEN! YOU SHOULD GO FLY IN A ROCKET TO THE MOON AND EXPLODE INTO CONFETTI AND BOTTLECAPS!"

_Isn't it a little too late for that kind of reaction? _Akai thought to himself.

"Well…" Aoi said lazily, and Akai suddenly widened his eyes in shock and anticipation as he picked up on a new vibe from her. He looked at her, and he noticed a dangerous glint in her eyes.

And just as he feared, she took it a little farther.

She began to draw closer to Akai, and she ran her fingers up his neck sensually before stopping at his jawline. She let out a hot, erotic breath of air that tickled his nose and sent his senses down the drain. He felt his heartbeat speeding up like a roller coaster riding down the slope, and every part of his body was as hot as fire.

"Maybe…that's not quite our relationship, but we are…" Aoi said in a low voice, and her slight moan almost made Akai jump in excitement. She neared his face, touching the tip of his nose with her own nose, and grinned sexily. "…quite close."

"Hey, Aoi!" IF said, her voice clearly hysterical. "What the hell are you doing?!" The extremely worrying sound of metal being unsheathed only served to make Akai all the more concerned.

Akai could see Neptune out of the other corner of his eye, and she was just watching with her mouth agape and her face blushing like mad. The mug of hot chocolate in her hand was already wavering, and was ready to fall onto the ground and shatter.

_Crap, what the heck am I supposed to do in this situation?! _Akai thought as he returned his attention to the immediate problem, which was the extremely promiscuous tease practically mounting him that was descending closer and closer to his face. He felt Aoi's soft, gentle caress reach his chin and push it towards her a bit, and he couldn't help but move with the motion.

Just when her lips were about to make contact with his, she suddenly snorted and burst out laughing, rolling back onto the floor and a safe enough distance from Akai. Enough for him to take a deep inhale and try his best to recover the shreds of his mind.

"Hahaha! Oh, man! You guys totally fell for it!" Aoi continued to laugh, almost in tears, as she rolled over again and crossed her arms over her stomach. "Did you really think I was going to do it?! Hahaha!"

"…someone fill me in here." Neptune replied, dumbfounded, as she looked on in complete ignorance at the strange spectacle set before her. "I have no idea what's going on. The author might be trying to screw me over in this chapter."

"…this is Aoi." Akai replied, still trying to recover from the assault, with a hand on his chest as if he were trying to push out all of the stress he had just experienced through his lungs.

"…yeah, the author's definitely trying to screw me over." Neptune replied before turning around and walking towards the kitchen. "Before you start explaining, let me wash my face. And take an aspirin."

"Aight." Aoi chuckled as she stood back up and began walking towards the bathroom. "I'm going to use the bathroom, so wait for me."

As she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, she let out a contained sigh and slid down to the floor, landing roughly onto her rear.

She placed a hand onto her left breast and sighed. "…too fast."

…_dammit, when I look at him, he doesn't look like how he used to…_ Aoi thought to herself as she closed her eyes, pictures of Akai flowing steadily through the darkness. She placed her other hand onto her face, and she stood up and looked into the mirror.

Her cheeks were blushing bright pink.

…_is the kind of thing that IF went through?_

* * *

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for not telling you, but would you at least put away the hammer?" Mina pleaded, her eyes not leaving the menacing object placed in her CPU's hands.

"…you really shouldn't keep stuff like this from me, Mina." Blanc sighed, the vein in her forehead finally vanishing as she allowed her hammer to dissipate into a flash of pixels. She folded her arms over her chest and glared down at both Mina and Mina II, who were on their knees in fear.

"I apologize with all of the energy left in my body." Mina replied, groveling onto the floor and placing her forehead onto the cold tiles.

Blanc shrugged and sighed again, this time with a small troubled smile on her lips. "…it's fine. Regardless of when it happens, this kind of stuff can be used as reference material for my doujins anyway."

_That's what you wanted to know it for? _Mina thought to herself, but didn't dare let that thought leave her lips.

"In any case…" Blanc looked back at Mina II, who was staring at her intently. "…I won't stop you from finding this Akai."

Mina II bowed in appreciation. "Thank you so mu-"

"I will be going with you, though."

That comment brought Mina II to her feet, but Blanc didn't look like she cared either way. "No matter how you think about it, Akai presents a serious potential problem. I'm not letting this risk to my people go unmonitored, and I want to see him with my own eyes."

She pointed at Mina II. "That aside, it's too irritating to call you something irritating like 'Insurgent Mina' or 'Alternate Mina'. So, from here on out, you will be called Mina II!"

"…the author's already using that, though." Mina II replied flatly.

"No need to worry about the little details." Blanc waved her hand dismissively. "Now, my little sisters want to get you changed, so we'll meet at the front door in…thirty minutes."

With that statement, the twins popped out from out of nowhere and grabbed Mina II by the arms. The two began to drag her towards their room, almost brutal was their grip and their method of dragging her.

"Wait, at least let me walk by myself!" But Mina II's cry for mercy went unheeded as the two vanished around the corner, skipping and giggling.

"…why does that seem really disturbing, for some reason?" Mina thought out loud, turning away from the unsettling sight of two little girls abducting a full grown woman, and started for the entrance to the Basilicom.

* * *

"…man, this is boring." Aoi muttered to herself as she stared, bored, at the screen in front of her which displayed her 40th victory in a row. She tossed the controller to the side and leaned back onto the couch behind her.

She glanced back at the open doorway.

"…you can't even get groceries quickly enough?" Aoi muttered to herself, a little loneliness in her voice, as she turned her gaze back to the TV screen. She sighed and reached for the controller again, pressed some buttons, and the PS3 turned off.

Her mind flashed back to the events of several hours ago.

And the image of Akai emerged freshly in her head.

"…I need to shower." Aoi shook her head, stood up and walked towards the bathroom whilst removing her shirt and inching off her shorts.

As she stepped into the wide, empty room with a light sound that echoed lightly off the blank tiles, she shivered as a gentle breeze moved down and touched her exposed back. She walked towards the ever-present hot water tub filled to the brim with steaming water, and she slowly let herself sink in.

She grimaced as the heat touched her foot and ran up her leg, and traveled into her body. She let out a sigh of contentment as her body slowly adjusted to the warmth, and she let the rest of her body submerge into the soothing water.

As she let her mind relax and wander, she suddenly saw another image of Akai. Far different from anything she's ever pictured him as before, this particular version of him looked far more handsome and attractive than before.

She touched her face with her hand, and she widened her eyes to find out that her cheeks were warmer than the water.

"…but he's like my big brother…right?" Aoi muttered weakly as if trying to defend herself.

…_what am I doing? Am I making excuses to myself? _

_He's been the one raising me and protecting me since day one. _

_Does that make him my father? My brother? I don't…know…_

Aoi just stared up at the ceiling vacantly, focusing on nothing in particular.

"…I wish it were just like before. Teenagers go through some strange shit."

"I'm home!" Aoi heard the main entrance to the living room slam open, accompanied by the loud cry of the subject of her thoughts, Akai.

…_well, whatever. I don't really want to think about this anyway. _

Aoi turned around in the tub and yelled, "Welcome back! Did you get my instant noodles?!"

"Yeah, I did! I also got some other stuff here, so you should take a look and see if you're interested!"

"Sure! Just gimme a minute!"

"Hey, you left your clothes out here!"

* * *

*click* *click* *tap*

Linda frowned while her finger continued to thrum idly against the table, her thoughts focused on the sheets of paper that were laid out in front of her.

"Didn't think there would be so many issues with the cloning process, chu~" Pirachu, who sat across from her and sifted through documents, commented in disbelief. "It's almost irritating just to look at, chu~"

"…we didn't think this one through, did we?" Linda replied, clearly frustrated as a vein slowly began to bulge in her temple. She gritted her teeth and clenched her other hand into a fist as her eyes scanned word after word that was printed onto the papers.

"I guess we thought it would be easy to get away with, chu~ Now I'm glad we sent the other CFWs to handle the Insurgents, chu~"

"…I don't wanna do this!" Linda protested loudly, slamming her hands onto the table and standing up. More than half of the documents flew into the air and scattered across different areas on the table, even getting onto Pirachu's side.

"Linda, we need to look at these." Pirachu replied, looking up from his papers at his companion. "You suggested this yourself, so you of all people should be here for this, chu~"

"Gaaaah!" She merely groaned in response, and she walked away from the table with her hands in her hair. "This is boring as fuck! This is all we've ever done since we beat the CPUs, you know! Paperwork, affairs and all this shit! How the hell did those girls have any fun sustaining a fucking nation?!"

"Well, they weren't like you, for starters." Pirachu replied, irritated, before returning his attention to the paper in front of him. "Besides, we don't have much else to do. We still have the project happening over in that other dimension, remember? As long as we monitor and control the situation properly, we can wipe them out without even needing an army, chu~"

"…that's it, I'm heading over there."

"Wait, what the hell, chu?!" Pirachu stood up in violent response, glaring at his partner. "

We already agreed on this operation! And you're not supposed to just go over there and-"

Linda waved her hand in front of her and then pointed it towards the sky, and a powerful blast of light erupted from her. Instantly, her body was covered in dark green and black armor that looked ominous and deadly to the touch. In her right hand, she hefted an extremely large baton that looked very similar to her old pipe.

"Don't give a shit anymore about that. I'm just gonna kill Akai and then kill the rest of the CPUs over there. See you in a few."

She muttered before turning around and propelling herself towards the door with a burst of energy that sent the rest of the papers in the room flying into a whirlwind.

Pirachu just stared after her, a little dumbfounded and much more than angry. Slowly, his paws clenched into fists, and then those fists began to tremble.

"…first you kill my angel, and then you just start doing things on your own, you filthy bitch…" Pirachu whispered hatefully, his eyes beginning to glower with loathing. "If you just keep it up, you're going to be the one dying first, chu~ And I won't be there to save you when it happens."


	20. Chapter 19: Awakening

**Chapter 19: Awakening**

"Chika!" Kei cried out as she leaped off of the shoulder of a soldier, firing her pistols as she flew back. He let out a cry and dropped to the ground, dead. Kei turned around on her heel. "Are they done?!"

"Yeah!" Chika called back as she cartwheeled, kicking the rifle out of a soldier's hands before smashing her wrist into his jaw and snapping his neck. His head lolled loosely on his shoulders before he collapsed. Chika turned back and shot a thumbs-up at the Lastation Insurgent. "We're just about done!"

"Good." Kei muttered softly to herself, walking over to her comrade and holstering her pistols. "All of the citizens should be safe by now. With Brave dead and Judge gone for the moment, we should be-"

"Kei! Chika!" The two Insurgents winced in pain and shock as a voice blared into their communicators. "There's a major dimensional disturbance! Regroup!"

"Got it!" The two reported in unison as they spun towards the direction of the building, and they kicked off of the ground. Kei began sprinting at top speed, and she vaulted and leaped over the bodies and debris in her way. Chika went through the air, leaping from magic circle to magic circle that imploded and sent her flying from one to the next towards the direction of the building.

They burst into the office, and they were presented with a mess. The floor was scorched with black marks, a faint hum was still hovering within the room, and the chairs and tables were upturned and scattered everywhere. Histoire floated at the back of the room, her face grim.

"Histoire, what's going on?!" Kei stressed urgently, stepping over a wooden chair and walking towards the Insurgent of Planeptune.

Histoire just looked back at her, concern etched on her face. "I detected a massive dimensional disturbance a minute ago."

Chika immediately pressed buttons rapidly on her wrist and yelled into the communicator. "Observation Team! Give me a sitrep!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" A frightened, intimidated squeak came from the other end of the line.

"Histoire, we need to make sure Mina's alright." Kei stressed, her voice heavy with concern.

"I know." Histoire sighed, her wings drooping down gloomily.

Suddenly, everyone turned their heads as the door slammed open once again. A panicked middle aged blonde man stood there, breathing heavily. He bent over to catch his breath for an instant before running over to them.

"Lady Chika! Observation Team Representative ready to report!" The man barked obediently, standing up straight like a board and saluting rigidly.

"Never mind the salute. You look like a piece of gelatin left in the freeze." Chika waved her hand, her expression slightly disgusted. "Get to the point. What's the cause of the dimensional disturbance?"

"H-here! We recorded this video footage several minutes ago!" The man raised his hand, which now held a hastily drawn remote, and clicked a button.

A portion of the ceiling suddenly split, and a large display emerged from the crevice and aimed its lens towards the far wall above Histoire's head.

"...did we always have that?" Chika wondered out loud, her head tilting.

"I don't recall the budget being allocated for a **movie projector**." Kei said, her eyes accusing and her tone venomous as she glared at the young man. "I don't think I approved any purchases of this sort."

"Eep!" The man let out a frightened squeak as he hastily backed away, and he tripped over a chair. Standing back up in a daze, he quickly fixed his glasses.

"N-not to worry! We used our personal funds for this!"

"Never mind it, then." Kei decided, shrugging and facing the wall. "Now, show us what you have to show us."

The screen flickered to life in that instant, and it displayed a corner bird's eye view of a room.

The room was very dark grey, a depressing shade that dulled the senses and the mood just by looking at it. It was filled entirely with the view of a large metallic ring that looked like an arc or an empty gateway. All around the circle were large orbs of glass that decorated the whole thing. The circle was situated on top of a large, square steel platform with a small staircase that led to said platform.

As they looked on, they saw Linda suddenly burst into the room with the door on the receiving end of a kick that sent it flying to the other side of the room. It struck the far wall violently, dented on both sides.

The CFW strode into the room, her armor crackling with scarlet energy. As she yelled to someone off-screen, the ring of steel suddenly lit up and began to emit a powerful white light that swirled like a whirlpool.

_They activated the portal...so that explains the disturbance._ Histoire thought to herself.

As the Insurgents watched, Linda sprinted and dove into the portal. The video feed ended there.

"That raises more questions than it answers." Kei commented, waving her hand dismissively for the observer to leave the room.

"True." Chika muttered, narrowing her eyes as she snatched the remote and began rewinding through the video. "We don't know why she left."

Histoire just looked at them fearfully. "…Mina may be in danger."

* * *

Akai walked alone through the city of Planeptune. The daylight was dim and the wind was sharp and bitingly cold. Shivers went down his back, and he shuddered as another gust of wind brushed by.

"Sheesh, this is the last thing I need after last night." Akai grumbled in complaint as he hugged his arms closer to himself. "I should've brought a coat. Maybe dressing in a tee and jeans wasn't enough."

Akai looked around him.

He was on one of the side streets of Planeptune. To his left and right, shops of all sorts lined the walls. He could see a shoe store to his left with a **50% off sale** sign on the window, and about half of the population of the nation crowded outside it.

A mix of women who waited earnestly, and a mix of men who clearly looked like they'd do anything else, even watch paint dry.

"...kinda glad I'm not going out with anyone." Akai commented to no one but himself as he walked past the bustle of the store. He snuck a glance at the brand, and widened his eyes at the familiar logo of **Uniqlo**.

As he rounded the corner and entered a main street, he stopped in place.

A fair distance away, he spotted an immense crowd huddling and making so much noise that he couldn't really hear himself if he spoke lightly.

"What's going on over there?" Akai wondered out loud, blinking in surprise at the sight before him.

He blinked a second time, and then righted himself. As he looked back to the crowd, he squinted to see through the arms and legs of the people squeezed together.

He caught a glimpse of a girl with short brown hair trying to make her way through the immense pack of people. He could see a white hat and a thick fur coat on her.

"..." Akai's hand went for his phone, and he dialed up the number of the Basilicom.

"...yello. Sorry, the Basilicom doesn't do deliveries. If you're looking for a burger, try the other hotline." Akai sighed as Neptune's voice came over the line.

"Just who I wanted to talk to."

"Oh, it's Akai, the repeat offender."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Womanizer."

"I am not."

"Lies! I'll have you know that I have a great lawyer! I will expose you for the Hollywood-worthy scandal you are!"

"Don't give me that right now." Akai muttered as he glanced back at the crowd. "Hey, Blanc's here. Did you call her over or something?"

"…whoa, you're right." The response sounded as if there were two voices speaking at once: one next to him and the other in his ear. Akai widened his eyes and took a step to his right, and he turned his gaze to his left.

Neptune was standing right next to him, phone pressed to her left ear as she shaded her eyes from the sun while squinting at the crowd. "Yeah, figures. No one else can cause a ruckus like that except one of the CPUs."

Akai shot her a look of bewilderment. "How did you-"

She just turned her eyes to him and winked slyly, placing a finger over her lips in the traditional method of telling someone to be quiet.

"Hush, my dear. Fellow ninjas must not speak with their lips, but with their minds."

"I am no ninja, Neptune."

"Good job following rule number one of the ninja."

"...might I ask what rule number one is, so that I can refuse it?"

"Rule number one of the ninja: Do not talk about the ninja."

"You're being a hypocrite, then. And I'm pretty sure you're just making a reference."

"Rule number two of the ninja-"

"I didn't say you could continue."

"Everyone chips in for pizza on Wednesdays and Fridays."

"Hang on, what kind of rule is that for ninjas?! That's not a ninja rule!"

"Rule number three of the ninja-"

"There's more?!"

"We are not available on holidays."

"Why does it sound a lot like a family restaurant instead of a secret organization?"

"That's just how good we are at camouflage and information control. Besides, our family restaurant doesn't come with a woman-loving waitress with a _katana_ and a blackmailing sadist."

"At least make the reference properly, Neptune."

"I did. Oh, that reminds me, season three should be coming out soon."

"Give him a rest, Neptune. Even Akai's mental strength won't be able to handle you for very long." Nepgear's voice emerged from behind. Akai turned around to see her standing there with a smile.

"Thanks, Nepgear." Akai said, patting her on the top of her head. He pointed back to the crowd of people clamoring noisily in the distance. "Well, you two can head over to Blanc and catch up. Y'know, do whatever you guys do.

Nepgear tilted her head. "Meaning you're not going to come along?

"Nah. I've gotta buy dinner, and then finish up some late night delivery quests." Akai replied, shaking his head. "Say hi to her for-"

"NOPE." With a loud voice that turned heads within a fifteen meter radius, Neptune grabbed Akai by the underarms and began dragging him in the direction of the massive group of people.

"...weren't you listening to a single word I was saying, Neptune?"

"Quests can wait. Besides, you have enough money to buy your own mansion now. You've been storing it all into your bank account, so Quests can wait right now."

"Ugh, fine. At least let me- hang on, how do you know how much money is in my account?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets."

"What happened to ninja?"

"...same thing."

"No, they're not. And you hesitated."

"ANYWAY," Neptune said as she began sifting through the crowd with Akai close behind. "You should meet her."

As they reached the other side of the massive wall of men and women, Akai took a deep breath as he began to recover while Neptune flagged down the brunette.

"Yo, Blanny." Neptune called out casually, managing to wave her hand vigorously enough to catch the Lowee CPU's attention while knocking out a guy standing next to her at the same time.

"Neptune." Blanc greeted politely with a bow and a smile as she rushed forward. The twins followed closely behind, their hands locked with their big sister's. "Good to see you doing well."

"Well, I am a treat for the eyes."

"I see you're just up to the usual?"

"Actually, I couldn't have that round of mahjong I was planning to play with Histoire. I don't get it. She should be good at an old people sport."

"...I see."

_So this is Blanc, huh? _Akai thought to himself as he beheld the Lowee CPU. _She looks exactly like she does in the game. _

"Ooh! Hi, Mina!" Neptune greeted the Oracle, who'd just caught up, as energetically as a squirrel on Red Bull.

"Hello, Neptune." Mina replied, smiling calmly. She dug into her coat pocket and held out a jawbreaker. "I have some extra candy. Do you want-"

Neptune grabbed the ball from Mina's hands and swallowed it whole. "Thanks!"

_...there's a limit to what you can do in this dimension, right? _Akai wondered to himself, staring in shock at the purple haired ditz of a CPU in front of him.

Mina appeared unfazed, instead just smiling and withdrawing her hand. "I thought you might like it. Though swallowing it whole..."

"Don't worry, Mina!" Neptune replied, flashing her a thumbs up. "I have a strong stomach!"

_I think you need more than a strong stomach to swallow a jawbreaker whole._ Akai thought to himself.

"It's him." Akai turned his gaze to see Mina gazing intently at him, and he raised an eyebrow in response. "You're Akai, right?"

"Yeah." He said in reply, nodding his head.

"Yup, that's him." Mina II suddenly emerged from behind Mina, arms folded and expression like a hawk's, and nodded at the boy. "No mistake."

"Whoa, what's with the two Minas?" Akai asked, taken aback.

"So, this is what Akai's like?" Blanc asked out loud, stepping forward and peered at him. "He doesn't look that capable. Are you sure-"

Suddenly, the sound of a loud explosion ripped through the air. Screaming accompanied it, and the group of CPUs and company turned in the direction of the source of the sound. People began to run in the opposite direction, shoving and pushing one another.

"What the hell was that?" Blanc narrowed her eyes, drawing out her hammer and hefting in both hands as she glared in the direction of the noise.

"Whatever it is, it's not friendly." Mina II pulled out her pistols, twirling them. "We need to-"

"Rom! Ram! Nepgear!" Akai suddenly shouted and drowned everyone else out. The three in question looked at him in shock and drew closer to him.

"What is it?" Nepgear asked timidly, surprised.

"Get the people out of here first." Akai said before drawing a pair of _katanas_ out and turned towards the direction of the noise, and another explosion rippled through the ground in waves of sound and energy.

Akai immediately took off, heading for the direction of the explosions.

"Since when was he the boss?" Neptune replied, placing her hands onto her hips. "I'm the main character here."

"We need to follow him." Mina II said, her eyes narrowing. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

"Agh, this is annoying as hell!" Linda muttered to herself as she kicked a vacant car in the passenger door with her foot. The vehicle was sent flying far back, and it crashed into the side of a tall building and exploded. It sent the rest of the street into disarray, with other cars being punctured with fragments of glass and concrete. A few other cars and trucks here and there exploded, only adding to the fire and chaos.

The green-haired woman scowled to herself and cracked her knuckles. "Forgot to make those fucking scientists cough up the coordinates for the target."

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Linda turned around to see a black haired boy holding a katana in each hand staring at her, his expression confused and wary.

"Oh, it's you. Good, you saved me the trouble of going around to find you." Linda replied, grabbing another nearby car with her hand and lifting it with ease. She narrowed her eyes, grinned nastily and then hurled the hunk of steel at him.

As it flew at him, it was suddenly cleaved into half with a clean sound. It separated into two neat halves and flew in either direction past Akai.

Neptune stood in front of him, her katana in hand.

"Geez, what'd you do to her? Did you find her BL manuscript or something?" Neptune asked Akai, her back still turned to him as she twirled her sword and prepped it into a combat stance.

"No, I don't think so." Akai replied, walking to stand beside the Planeptune CPU and staring down his new adversary. "I don't even know why she has it in for me."

"Well, might as well make sure she doesn't get her way." Neptune replied, strangely still cheerful, as she gripped her sword more tightly.

"Man, it still pisses me off to see your face!" Linda called out to the two of them, her voice still dripping with what sounded like contempt. Her face was full of loathing and irritation, as if her underwear was being ridden up too high. "I'm glad I took care of you back home!"

"…she's talking to me, right?" Neptune wondered out loud, glancing back at Akai.

"I guess…?" Akai replied, shrugging.

"I'll have to do the same damn thing to you all over fucking again!" Linda cried out, sounding insane and gleeful, as she charged at the Planeptune CPU, drawing out a massive baton that glowed with red and black lightning that crackled ominously.

"I. Have. No. Idea. What. You're. Talking. About!" Neptune replied, and she ran towards Linda head on.

Linda made a sideswiping attack with her weapon, and Neptune leaped over it and somersaulted mid-jump, landing a slash on Linda's flank. She let out a grunt of pain and swung her baton again, and Neptune ducked under it before pressing her foot into Linda's gut and kicking her back a good twenty feet.

"Graaaa!" With a cry of what sounded like frustration, Linda raised her baton, gripped it with both hands, and then slammed it in front of her in an attempt to damage Neptune.

"Whoopsie!" The CPU replied almost teasingly, sidestepping the attack and then running forward to deliver a dropkick that sent Linda flying backwards into a building wall. Neptune just got back up to her feet and said, "Damn, score one for the home team!"

Suddenly, Linda charged Neptune and delivered a sudden, blindingly fast strike that hit Neptune's side directly. It made her fly back and violently strike a tree on the way, and she spun multiple times before hitting the ground hard.

"Gotcha now!" Linda cried out, and she ran forward to deliver another powerful blow. As Akai took a step forward to intervene, he caught a small glimpse of movement behind Linda.

Right before a powerful strike sent her flying into one of the windows of the farther office buildings. She was lost from sight as the glass shattered, sending a hail of sharp glass raining down from above.

"You alright, Neptune?" Blanc asked worriedly, her hammer in hand as she helped Neptune to her feet. She looked her up and down, her eyes closely examining the side of Neptune's body.

"No time! Let's go!" Neptune replied, craning her neck upwards to look at the sky. As she pushed Blanc backwards and leaped in the other direction, Linda suddenly plummeted down and smashed the ground. Her strike left a deep crater on the concrete.

"Damn it, stay still!" Linda screamed, even more frustrated, as she began swinging her weapon like mad. The wind that ensued as the attacks swung by was ferocious, as if a tornado had touched down in the city.

"No thanks." With that remark, Blanc hopped over a horizontal swing and sent her hammer across Linda's face. The strike made Linda stagger back, and then she felt five burning lines of pain array themselves across her back. She turned around, seeing Neptune with her sword up and a grin on her face.

Linda grit her teeth and then clenched her fist before punching it into the ground, sending a wave of energy outwards in a radial fashion. Neptune somersaulted over it and then landed an axe kick on top of Linda's head, and then landed onto the ground, slashed her thrice and then made distance before Blanc landed another powerful hammer slam on top of Linda's head.

"God, stop hitting my fucking head!" With that cry, Linda slammed her baton into the ground hard. Instantaneously, a powerful explosion of light sent everyone flying back.

"Blanc! Neptune!" Akai cried out, unable to see because of the explosion of light that drowned out the rest of the world.

As the light died down, he saw Neptune and Blanc standing across Linda, who was now clad in dark green and black armor. She grinned, her face sinister, and raised her hand in the direction of the two CPUs.

Akai watched, shocked, as Neptune suddenly slackened and dropped to one knee. She drove her blade into the ground, using it as a support to keep upright. Blanc similarly dropped to her knees, propping herself up using her hammer.

"What's wrong?!" Akai cried out to them, rushing forwards and kneeling down to check on Neptune.

"…I feel my energy draining from me." Neptune replied, her voice heavy and her eyelids beginning to droop. "I need pudding."

"This isn't the time to joke around!" Akai shot back, glancing worriedly at Blanc.

The Lowee CPU just gave him a worried stare, her gaze flickering between him and Linda. "I don't know if we can handle this one right now. She's stronger than I anticipated."

"Hahahaha! Is that it?! Linda cackled, her armored gauntlets sizzling with dark purple energy as she stepped forward menacingly. "I wasn't sure for a while, but it turns out you guys are just pushovers! Just like the others!"

"Hey! Don't make fun of my big sister!"

Suddenly, a small pair of voices shouted from behind Akai. Two powerful blasts of energy sailed through the air and connected with the green-haired woman, and the resulting explosion sent her flying into a faraway building.

"…damn, I can't underestimate you guys." Akai grinned to Rom and Ram, aglow in their CPU form as they floated down to rest at Akai's side. He patted each of them on the head as if in congratulation.

"Hehe! We may not be as strong as Blanc, but we can still kick butt!" Ram giggled, letting Akai pat her head.

"Where's Nepgear?" Akai asked in reply.

"She's taking the lead for the evac." Ram said, glancing back at the plaza. "She said she could handle it just fine."

"Ram, she's coming back." Rom noted, her gaze locked onto the form of Linda that was slowly getting closer.

"Gotcha!" Ram cried out, winking at Rom as she ran to her twin sister's side.

The two raised their wands simultaneously in the incoming enemy's direction. Magic circles lit up on the ends of the wands, and from them shot a massive storm of icicles that flew towards Linda.

"You can't do squat!" Linda taunted, and she raised her hand out towards the oncoming onslaught of ice. Instantly, magenta-colored lightning flashed outward and destroyed the icicles easily.

"Damn." Akai muttered, blinking as the ice particles fell all over his face and moistened his skin.

"Not gonna let that stop us!" Ram yelled, taking to the air and beginning to circle Linda at a breakneck pace.

"Wait!" Rom called fell behind, and she jetted into the air and circled Linda as well, her position opposite Ram's.

"God, you kids are just as annoying as before!" Linda raised her baton into the air and slammed it into the ground again, and the resulting shockwave blew the twins backwards.

Ram quickly somersaulted and recovered, shooting five successive blasts of ice towards Linda, who just batted them away like feathers.

"Rom!" She yelled towards her sister, who fired balls of fire infused with bolts of lightning on cue at the enemy.

"Still not impressing me!" Linda scoffed smugly as she swung her baton, batting the balls back at the twins. They simply strafed and evaded the deflected attacks, which sailed past and struck the buildings.

Powerful explosions blew apart the concrete, sending flaming debris raining down onto the street.

"Do me a favor and keep the rest of Planeptune intact!" Akai called out as he dodged a burning piece of building. It struck the ground heavily, creating a deep crater that still burned with flames.

"Sorry!" Rom called down as she flew forward with Ram, and the two twins evaded another swing of Linda's baton.

"Damn it, stay still!" Linda cried out in anger and raised her arm up again, and the Lowee CPU Candidates suddenly fell out of the sky and hit the ground limply.

"Rom! Ram!" Akai ran forward, and he quickly got in between the twins and Linda. He eyed her warily, and Linda just smirked and tightened her grip on her weapon.

Akai leaped backwards, spun around, and quickly grabbed the twins before running back to Mina and Mina II. "We don't have a chance against her, Mina! If she can take these girls down so easily, what can we do?"

"Goodness!" Mina muttered as she crouched and began examining the girls. "They're not in any condition to go on. They're too weak!"

"…we still have a way to beat her."

Akai looked ludicrously at Mina II as she said those words. "I don't think we can do that now. Trying will get us killed."

"Shut up and stand still." Mina II replied, and she walked up to Akai, grabbed his head forcefully and slammed her lips onto his.

_Ow, my teeth! _Akai thought to himself as Mina II's kiss pressed hurtfully into his mouth. He felt the pain jolt through his front teeth, having made full speed contact with Mina II's.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Mina stood up and pointed, flustered and shocked with a reddening face to match, at the pair standing right next to her. "This is absolutely no time for any illicit relationships and kissing!"

"That's not what I'm doing, fool." Mina II replied flatly as she shoved Akai away from her. She turned to him, her eyes focused like never before; intent like her life was hanging in the balance. "How do you feel?"

"…well, your lips were soft, smooth and-"

Mina II immediately struck him on the side of his forehead, a slight blush of embarrassment on her face. "That's not what I'm talking about. You have the ability to mimic the powers of whomever you choose and add it to your own, making you stronger."

Akai did nothing but stare at her, the statement becoming the new puzzle piece to answer his questions as he fixed his eyes onto empty air.

_That explains what happened with IF in the ferris wheel. _Akai thought flatly to himself, resisting the urge to use the words as a comeback.

"So…what does that have to do with a kiss?" Akai asked her, his gaze flitting nervously between Mina II, Mina and the slowly oncoming Linda.

"Gods, you're dense. The report said you're smarter than this." Mina II groaned, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose as if she were experiencing a migraine. "Basically, you can activate that ability through kissing someone."

"Sounds like Yamada-kun and the-"

"No!" Neptune cried out weakly, getting back to her knees and pointing at the three. "You might get this fanfiction sued for copyright! At least use a parody name or something!"

"Now is not the time for jokes, Neptune." Akai shot back, resting his gaze on the approaching Linda. "So, I now have your strength as well? How's that work?"

"Just fight, and you'll notice the difference. You probably have more magic power and some physical strength added to your current stats. I'll cover you, so wait for an opening." Mina II retorted before she drew out her twin pistols and leaped to the side, beginning to strafe Linda while firing.

"You're just using the same tactics over and over! You're old hat, you hag!" Linda raised her hand, the bullets striking a barrier of dark purple energy in front of her before clattering to the ground. She grinned and tapped her foot lightly onto the concrete.

A sudden line of purple energy erupted from the ground next to Mina II like a pillar of magma. It exploded violently, shaking the earth forcefully enough send half a dozen already unstable buildings crashing to the ground in explosions of dust and debris.

"And you're just the same old tyrant you always were!" Mina II shot back, continuing her barrage as she somersaulted and evaded orbs of power being tossed and hurled by Linda. "Taking out your anger on innocent people who don't deserve it! You're just some fool with power!"

"Shut your ass! I don't need any speech from some former Oracle chick!"

"I don't wanna hear that from some ASIC errand girl!"

…_is it me, or did I just get sucked into their pace? _Akai wondered as he watched Mina II and Linda scream insults and comebacks whilst they fought.

Closing in, the Insurgent drew out her spiked staff and swung it swiftly, only to get parried by Linda. Mina II leaped over a kick and delivered one of her own, the attack striking Linda across her cheek and sending her staggering backwards a step. Linda scowled, and then swung her baton again.

Mina II slid under the strike and made distance, switching to her pistols and firing them repeatedly. Linda brushed off the bullets casually and smashed her baton in the ground towards Mina II, and a powerful series of pillars erupted in quick succession in the blue haired woman's direction.

Raising her hand, Mina II countered with a quick spell that fired a powerful wave of energy. It struck the pillars, and a massive explosion ensued that broke off tiny pieces of the asphalt.

"…should we jump in? I'd kinda feel like we're gonna mess her up." Akai asked, turning to the Mina behind him that was paying attention to the twins.

"We should. Like you said, we can't fight her. But going it alone is suicide." She replied, standing up and summoning forth her own staff. She turned to the pair that was dueling in the distance, and she pointed the end of her staff at Linda.

Immediately, beneath Linda's feet, cyan magic circles blinked into existence. From them, small blue chains of energy erupted and wrapped around her ankles, keeping Linda stopped to the ground.

"Wha-"Linda looked down, her eyebrows furrowing as she noted the chains. "Fucking annoying…!"

"Get in there, Akai! While she's distracted!" Mina called as she ran forward, firing bolts of lightning whilst strafing Linda. Linda cursed as the bolts of electricity struck her body, arcing almost hungrily around her armor and flesh.

Akai rushed forward, and he skidded to a stop in front of Linda and delivered a slash to her midsection. The blade scratched the armor deeply, and Akai's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Apparently, I'm stronger than I thought. Maybe it's because of the kisses with IF and Mina." He muttered to himself before he delivered three more slashes in quick succession. The attacks carved deep grooves into the armor, and left minor scratches on the CFW's skin.

"Fuck, get away!" Linda raged, and she attempted to land a punch on Akai.

Akai ducked under it and then launched a kick that struck Linda's midsection again. She flew back and landed on her back heavily.

"I'm not gonna tolerate this shit anymore!" She cried out, getting back to her feet and raising an arm to the sky.

From Linda, a massive wave of dark purple energy suddenly expanded and covered everyone like a bubble. It expanded and moved outwards, until it was covering half the city in its radius.

Akai suddenly felt his grip on his weapons weakening, and he clicked his tongue in frustration before casting his gaze half-desperately at Mina II. "What's going on?!"

"Linda has the power to absorb people's life forces using her powers as a CPU!" Mina II replied, her movements beginning to slow as she, too, experienced the fatigue setting in. "She'll get stronger while we get weaker, so we need to either get out now or beat her now!"

Akai looked at her as if she had asked him to draw a picture of air. "But we can't beat her on our own!"

"Need help?"

Akai looked back for a brief moment to see a flash of white hair pass him by before it disappeared. He looked back in Linda's direction, and he saw an armor-clad, plugsuit-wearing form soar at the CFW and strike her with a massive, grey sword that glowed with white light. As the attack hit home, Linda flew back impossibly far and struck a concrete wall. The building above began falling forward, and an explosion of dust and rubble flew outwards whilst the whole thing collapsed on Linda. The bubble of energy dissipated as the explosion died down.

"Noire?! What are you doing here?!" Akai called out, his gaze fixed on the CPU that flew back and floated down next to him.

"Gust sent me. She said she had a feeling something would be happening right about now, and when we started seeing explosions, all bets were off." Noire replied, her eyes locked on the still recovering Linda. "With that life draining ability of hers, though, I can't do much either. Neptune and Blanc are out of shape, too."

"So, that's why we need to act fast." Akai turned to see Vert floating behind him, a knowing smile on her face. She, too, was in her CPU form.

"Alright, then. I can get onboard with this." Akai replied, a little relieved, as he gripped his swords with renewed spirit. "So, what's the plan of attack?"

"This."

Vert grabbed Akai from behind, spun him around, and then locked lips with him forcefully.

…_! This is different from the other kisses from before. IF's and Mina's were short. But this one…_

_Why does this one feel so sultry?! And she's even sticking her tongue inside!_

It was sufficient to say she was making out with him.

"There you go." Vert chided, removing her mouth from his. A trail of saliva connected the two pairs of lips, and Vert severed it with her finger. "Can't go too far with that."

"Why-"

"We overheard your conversation about copying people's powers." Noire replied for Vert, flying higher into the air as she spotted Linda amongst the dust and debris breaking into a run towards them. "Um, guys! Target inbound!"

"Excuse me for a moment." Vert replied, shouldering Akai aside for a moment and drawing her spear. Instantly, a powerful force encased the end of the spear and shot outwards, sending Linda flying with the force of a gale into another building. This time, she crashed into the concrete wall and broke through, leaving behind a messy hole. The building also began to cave in, and the ground shook and rumbled while it slowly did so.

…_I almost feel bad for Linda now. _Akai thought as he watched the second building hit the cement and dissolve into a pile of stone and steel.

"So…how do you feel?" Mina II asked, eyeing Akai carefully.

"…not like the other times." Akai replied, gazing down at himself. He clenched his fists and then unclenched them. "Maybe it's different for CPUs?"

"…" Noire quickly pulled out a vial and handed it to Vert. "Sorry, but I think it's the only way right now."

"It's alright. It should be fun, too." Vert shot back, smiling before she uncorked the glass vial and downed the contents in one shot.

"Wait, what was that?" Akai asked, completely lost. "Was that some sort of strength-enhancing potion or-"

Vert grabbed him by the face again, turning him forcefully, and then met his lips with hers again.

This time, Akai could feel the wet, warm sensation overlapping with his lips. He felt a tingle going through his spine as Vert's tongue danced around his, and she pressed her body against his more closely.

The sound of her moaning into the kiss sent his suppressed libido into a near-uncontrollable frenzy, and he suddenly felt the urge to return the favor as passionately as possible.

_Damn, she's really good at this. _Akai wanted to say that out loud, but decided he would keep that thought to himself as Vert ran her hand down his cheek and lifted his chin into the kiss even more.

"Okay, enough!" Noire suddenly stepped in, grabbing both by the shoulders and separating the two. "I asked for a kiss, not baby-making!"

"Oh, but I couldn't help it after a whole dose of the serum." Vert teased, flashing a wink and a sexy smile.

Akai closed his eyes, tuning out the conversation as he felt something suddenly begin happening within him.

…_what's this sensation I feel? It's getting bigger and stronger, as if it were increasing like a tidal wave. It's like it's about to-_

Suddenly, he opened his eyes in shock and fear as a sudden explosion of energy imploded from somewhere within his body. The energy flew into the air like a bright blue bubble of flowing power.

"It worked!" Mina II marveled in amazement as she looked Akai up and down. "Look at yourself!"

"What are you-"

Akai looked down to notice that his feet were not touching the ground, instead being suspended above it. His entire body, arms, and legs were encased in white and green armor similar to Vert's.

"…I copied Vert's powers and made them my own?" He breathed out, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. He clenched his fist tight and drew a massive polearm out of the air, a double ended spear, and twirled it. "Damn!"

"You won't be saying that again for a long time!" Linda's cry came suddenly, and Akai turned around to see her descending onto them with her baton.

"Everyone, move!" Akai yelled, his foot smashing into the ground and creating a small shockwave that blew everyone around him back a short distance.

He evaded Linda's attack easily, sidestepping it casually, and slashed her side with his spear. The attack cut past Linda's armor and into her flesh with ease, much to the receiver's surprise.

"Wha-impossible!" She cried out in disbelief and eyed Akai with contempt. "No one hurts me and gets away with it! You're gonna die first, fucker!"

Akai just grinned and twirled his spear once more, the pointed ends erupting with green flame. He narrowed his eyes, flashed a fierce grin and said,  
"Just try it, bitch."


	21. Chapter 20: Let The Conquest Begin!

**Chapter 20: Let the Conquest Begin!**

"Take this!" Akai yelled, a grin on his face as he thrust his spear forward into Linda's chest armor. An extremely loud metallic clang echoed off from the strike, and sparks flew while a deep crack ran across the breastplate.

"Kh!" Linda grunted in pain and smacked the pole away with her baton, drawing out her morning star and wielding it with her other hand. She performed a vicious slash with both weapons, which Akai blocked with his spear.

"Now!" Akai called out as he spun the spear and locked Linda's weapons together, rendering her defenseless.

Linda turned her gaze to the side just in time for her to get slammed in the side with a powerful sword slash from an incoming Noire that launched Linda into the air.

Vert immediately followed up with a three hit combo using her spear, and finished up with a slap with the flat of the end of the blade that sent Linda spiraling downwards headfirst into the cement.

"Ugh! Damn it!" Linda cursed as she got back to her feet and charged Vert, attempting a strike with her morning star. Vert backed off, the attack sailing past her and hitting nothing but empty air.

Taking back to the air, Vert twirled her spear before she tossed it like a javelin. The entire blade glowed with bright green light as it flew.

"I'm not gonna let you do that!" Linda scoffed as she grabbed the spear in midair and planted it back into the ground. She dashed towards Noire and delivered a series of strikes with her baton and morning star that left her opponent dazed and stunned.

Noire gritted her teeth and flew back upwards, trying to recover from the attack. As she did, Akai flew in and performed a spinning kick to Linda's arm that sent her baton clattering onto the ground.

Akai followed up, smashing his spear into two fragmented halves and beginning a whirlwind of a combo, repeatedly slashing Linda's armor mercilessly. Linda tried to retaliate with a vicious slam of her morning star into the ground that Akai sidestepped and replied to with a slam of the broken end of the spear into her abdomen.

Jumping up, Akai delivered a powerful kick to her chin that sent Linda staggering backwards. Akai dashed forward and stabbed both ends of the spear into Linda's armor, and both remained stuck in the chinks.

"Damn it." Akai cursed as he leaped backwards, skidding back to a safe distance and drawing two blades out of the air.

"Is that your signature fighting style?" Vert asked as she floated down to his side.

"Well, kind of." He replied somewhat sheepishly, his eyes still focused on Linda. "It's pretty effective, especially on one target."

He ran forward, and quickly slid under a powerful swing of the arm before performing five quick slashes to her left flank. As the armor cracked more and more, Akai quickly vaulted over Linda and delivered a spinning knee strike to her temple that stunned the CFW. Landing, Akai swept her feet out from under her before landing a series of lightning-fast sword slashes that finally broke through the chest plate, exposing Linda's clothes underneath.

"Just fucking die already!" Linda shrieked angrily, and she raised her arm to the sky.

Instantly, a massive explosion of energy raced tore outwards and pummeled into Akai, knocking him back.

"Damn it." Noire muttered as she landed, and her CPU form disengaged, leaving her in her black-haired human form. She dropped to one knee, trying to stay upright. "She's still this strong after tearing through half the city in a thirty minute-long battle?"

"Looks like we underestimated her." Vert agreed, having also transformed back into her human form.

"Akai!" Linda raised her morning star towards the boy menacingly. "I'll finish this fight with you sometime."

"Running?" Akai teased, drawing another spear out and pointing it back at her. "I can still go."

Linda just scoffed. "You're sure confident. I'll be sure to pound your face in next time."

With that, she turned around and soared out of sight.

"...damn." Akai muttered to himself as he disengaged his CPU form and turned to the other CPUs. "You guys alright?"

"Yeah." Noire sighed as she dropped to both of her knees. "Just really, really tired."

"I need to catch my breath." Vert added, hunching over and bracing her arms against her thighs.

"True. I could do that." Akai nodded, and he let himself fall backwards onto the floor, broken up and littered with broken buildings as it was. "I'm exhausted."

"Are you guys okay?!" Akai sat back up and turned towards to the sound of the voice to see Mina and Mina II running over to him with Blanc, Neptune, Rom, Ram and Nepgear in tow.

"Yeah, we're good." He called back, standing back up slowly.

"You fought well, Akai. I have to say that I'm impressed." Noire commented as she patted him on the shoulder. "For a non-CPU, you can sure give CPUs a run for their money."

"Well, thanks." Akai replied, nodding his head. "But never mind that. What happens now?"

"First, we gotta get the town fixed up." Neptune replied, sweeping her gaze around the wreckage. "You guys took out, like, half the capital during your battle. It was like Dragon Ball Z all over again."

"Repairs are Gust's job, so I'll call her while I help the tech team." Nepgear offered.

"Okay, you get on that." Akai nodded in agreement, letting his katanas dissipate into pixels. "Apart from the repair, we also need some info about this whole Linda ordeal. Leather suited Mina, mind filling me in at the Basilicom?"

"Yeah, that won't be an issue. It's why I came here, anyway." Mina II replied, striding forward and flashing a weak thumbs up.

"Oh, call her Mina II." Blanc piped up, raising her hand to catch Akai's attention. "We're using that so we don't mix our Mina up with her."

_As if the Scarlett Johansson outfit wasn't enough? _Akai kept that thought to himself as he glanced again at the tight leather jumpsuit that Mina II wore.

"All things said and done, though…As much as I want to help the people of Planeptune out, I also really need some rest." Akai sagged his shoulders in exhaustion. "If you don't mind me, I'm going to head to my room and pass out."

"Oh, then me too! I want some dinner!" Neptune cheered, leaping forward and barring Akai's way. "I'm not sleeping until you cook me a big dinner! All the works, with the Papa Johns and the Lola Bunnies to go!"

"…fine. Anyone else want dinner?" Akai replied, his voice deadpan, as he looked to the rest of the girls standing behind him.

One, then two hands were raised. And then, before Akai could complain or comment, the entire group of females were raising their hands.

"…come with me. I'll show you where it is." Akai said, sagging his shoulders even further as he trudged forward, completely exhausted as it is.

* * *

**The Next Day…**

"So, explain to me the story." Akai said through bites of scrambled egg and hash browns as he stared intently at Mina II, who sat across from him.

"Right. I'll just give you the recap." Mina II nodded gravely as she poured her orange juice, a strange combination of actions to everyone else present at the table. "Basically, Linda and Pirachu somehow got ahold of some unknown power that turned them into CPUs. Using that power, they slaughtered their way to the top of ASIC, becoming CFWs in their own right. They fought and killed each of the goddesses and their candidates, in addition to the thousands they'd already killed prior to that."

"Hmm…proceed." Akai urged as he grabbed another serving of sausages.

"That said, they never managed to fulfill ASIC's initial goal: revive Arfoire and rule the world. With that, they started trying their best to look for other ways to revive Arfoire when their first attempts failed. But no ritual nor spell did anything for them. They were practically back at square one."

"Alright…" Histoire, now present, commented as she poked at her plate of eggs. "So, where did they go from there?"

"Well," Mina continued, breaking the mood with a bite of sausage and hash brown before continuing. "They started looking into other dimensions for clues on how to revive Arfoire. But they weren't finding anything. Linda and Pirachu, however, were too busy looking for more powerful opponents to test their skills on to care about Arfoire. They started trying to find worlds to invade, as if Gigadimension wasn't enough."

"Ha-hang on." Neptune raised her hands and made a **T **with her hands. "Your world is called Gigadimension? Isn't that…I dunno…unimaginative? Shouldn't we start trying to make sure the author isn't running out of ideas?"

"Nothing we can do about it. Our Histoire says that the world is called Gigadimension, and so that's what it stays as." Mina II replied, taking a sip of her orange juice. "May I continue?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Neptune replied, suddenly very impassive and uncaring, as she turned her attention back to her food. "You do that."

"Anyway, we never lost hope even after watching the executions of our CPUs live." Mina II continued, her gaze sweeping from person to person every now and then. "The other Oracles and I started a revolution with the other citizens who grew fed up with the rule of ASIC, and we became the Insurgents of Gamindustri. We hid out underground, and we created a city base named Gekko. That's what currently serves as our headquarters, barracks, and safe zone."

"I see." Noire said, leaning forward intently. "So, what plan is it do you have to stop ASIC?"

"Here's where it gets…interesting." Mina II replied, leaning backwards and facing the CPU of Lastation. "We discovered later on that ASIC's been tapping into other worlds for unknown reasons, and were going to start kidnapping other worlds' people in order to use them for their fighting force. We stepped in after they attempted it for the first time, though it resulted in a messy ordeal when we assaulted their dimensional transporter."

"…so, I'm assuming that I was the one they were trying to bring through." Akai thought out loud as he handed the pitcher of orange juice to Vert and passed the plate of hash browns to Rom and Ram. "But if that's the case, then why was I brought here?"

"We kind of…decided to send you somewhere else and make it look like the transporter did it in our stead so that they would stop the experiments, which they did." Mina II answered, a little embarrassed. "However, one thing led to another, and we also knocked an experimental serum that they were developing as a bio-weapon into the portal before we retreated."

"Ah. So that provides…some sort of explanation for why I had this serum." Akai replied, looking down at himself before resuming his meal.

"Also, to explain away your powers, our Histoire kept saying that you were given them by someone the minute you were brought through dimensions." Mina II replied, her eyes narrowing in what seemed like suspicion. "The serum that came with you only increased things like strength, speed and messed with a portion of the nervous system, so that **Copy **ability of yours is totally out of left field."

"Who could possibly give him those kinds of powers?" Blanc wondered out loud, her gaze also fixed on Akai. "And just what kind of powers are these?"

"We did some analysis back over on our side." Mina II replied, her gaze falling back onto the teenage boy. "He can copy the ability other people's abilities through a kiss, which establishes a link in between him and the person that forms based on the willpower and emotion of the people involved."

"I see." Noire commented. "So, in other words, when Akai kisses someone, he forms a bond with them that allows him to carry over their abilities through that bond."

"Yes." Mina II affirmed, nodding her head. "And that bond is weak at first, especially if Akai and the kissed person do not have an especially close relationship. The ability has a basis on the closeness between Akai and the person whose abilities are being copied."

"What you're saying is that the closer Akai is with the person he kisses," Blanc inferred, finishing the last of her scrambled egg as she spoke. "The more powerful his copied abilities are."

"Yes." Mina II concluded. Her expression suddenly turned uncomfortable. "So…it suffices to say that the most power can be transmitted through having…that kind of relationship with him."

And just like that, everyone at the table stared at her as if they were trying to sense any kind of jest in her voice.

Unfortunately, there was none. Absolutely none.

"You're joking, right?" Noire asked, disbelief echoing strongly in her voice. "We have to fall in lo-lo-lo-" She pointed accusingly at Akai, almost as if she were convicting him of murder. "We have to get **closer **to him?!"

"Calm down, Noire." Mina II replied, raising a hand to her. "I only stated the facts. I didn't say you had to do anything of the sort."

"That aside, though, my objective still remains clear." Mina II suddenly raised her voice a bit, focused completely on Akai. "With your powers, we can win the battle against ASIC in Gigadimension and stop Linda and Pirachu from harming the other worlds. We don't even know if Magic, Trick and Judge are planning something behind the scenes, so we need to act fast. So, if everyone here can come along, we might be able to defeat everyone once and for-"

"No, that's a bad idea. Bringing everyone there, I mean." Akai replied, crossing his arms.

"Wha-why?" Mina II replied obliviously.

"Think about it." Akai shot back as if the answer were obvious. "If everyone goes, what'll happen here? If everyone goes **and dies**, what happens here? If they're as strong as you say, plus the fact that most of the dimension's on her side, we would be heading into Hell's Kitchen as the fucking ice cubes."

"So?" Mina II fought back, leaning forward and gazing at Akai. "What do you suggest we do?"

"First of all, let's not endanger anyone else. I'll go with you, and that's that." Akai said, moving his hand as he spoke. "However, I'm gonna have to get stronger in order to combat the power of 2+ CFWs. That would mean I'm going to have to use my powers, right?"

The minute the words left his mouth, a strange atmosphere settled over the entire table. All the girls gave Akai flat stares mixed with skepticism.

"You just wanna kiss more girls, don't you?" Noire finally voiced out what everyone was thinking, and she looked ready to draw her weapon. "Even when we're in the middle of a crisis…"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Akai shot back, growing flustered. "I just meant that since I'll go with her alone, I need to be as strong as possible in order to stand a chance against the rest of the CFWs."

"Personally, I think that it matters." Nepgear replied, leaning forward. "I think I'd like to know if you actually want to kiss us or not."

"Whoa, girl. Back up a second." Neptune suddenly started, waving her hands as if to halt everything as she peered more closely at her little sister. "No one said anything about it being us. You got the hots for him or something?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Nepgear replied, her face reddening like a chili pepper as she pushed Neptune away from her. "But I think personally that if I were to be kissed by a guy, I would want to know what their true intentions are."

"That's not something we can ignore either." Vert added on, her scrutinizing gaze boring into Akai critically. "What she says is true. While I am not held to it since I have already lent you my powers, I think that I would vouch for the feelings of the other girls here."

"What you say is true, though." Akai admitted, looking at everyone at the table. "I can't ignore anyone's feelings here by kissing anyone forcefully. I don't intend to force myself on anyone. And if no one is going to help, I'm going to find some other way to get stronger. Maybe some good ol' fashion level grinding will do the trick."

"…you're too kind, though. Too considerate." Vert replied, crossing her legs. "Even with lives hanging in the balance, you're thinking of us and our feelings first. I don't dislike that about you, Akai, but there is also a time frame to consider."

"Not like we have any other way to do it." Akai retorted, glugging down the last of his orange juice. "Besides, you get off easier because I already copied your abilities. It's a bit more difficult for the others to think about it since they have yet to do anything."

"But I haven't fallen for you, have I?" Vert shot back playfully, winking. "For you to make the most out of my abilities, I have to fall in love with you in order to strengthen the link between you and me. But that hasn't happened. You still have work to do."

"…nonetheless, I think that I want to find another way to do this." Akai said, and he stood up from the table.

"Do you not like the CPUs as women, Akai?" Histoire offered through a bite of her hash brown. "I think that if you don't make the point I think you're making, then you're only going to hurt their pride as women."

"What I mean is that we need to find a way to beat Linda, Pirachu and the rest of ASIC without forcing something that shouldn't be forced. I don't want the girls to sacrifice something important just because they feel obligated to."

"…you're too thoughtful." Blanc replied quietly, standing up from her chair. "Allow me some time to think on this matter." Quickly grabbing her little sisters by the collars

"I need some space. I'm going for a walk." Noire said as well, standing up and walking alongside Blanc as they both exited the room.

"Hmm…I don't really get it, but I think I have to leave." Neptune announced as she stood up, grabbed Nepgear by the collar of her shirt and jogged for the door. "Text us if you want something from the convenience store."

"Hey, Neptune! Let go of me the-ack! You're choking-" Nepgear gurgled as the collar of her shirt tightened around her neck, but her big sister afforded her no mercy as she dragged her out of the door.

With that, three out of four CPUs and two out of the three CPU Candidates left the room.

"Well, I don't think the rest of them are going to make any decisions quickly." Vert replied, sighing. "What's our fallback plan?"

"If we go with the easiest plan, then the fallback abilities to copy are those of the Makers and the Oracles." Mina II replied, glancing at her Hyperdimension counterpart. "I don't want to make that decision on my own, especially after seeing what happened now. Akai, what do you think?"

"I understand the logic, but I don't think I want to force that kind of thing on anyone. My answer remains the same." He replied, clenching his fists.

"…have you actually considered…you know, actually making them fall in love with you?" IF suddenly blurted out, and the rest of the table stared at her. She looked at Akai, ignoring the other's gazes and focusing on him alone. "It's…another way to do things, you know."

"It's not like they can actually fall in love with me."

Everyone's eyebrows raised at the statement.

"What makes you so sure?" IF challenged, standing up and meeting stares with Akai. "If it happened to me, I'm sure you can do the same to everyone else."

"As much as I want to tease IF right now, she's right." Vert replied, standing up as well and grinning readily. "You can't speak for our feelings, remember? We decide who we fall in love with and who we kiss. But you can try."

"Besides, we're running out of time." Mina II added, her tone urgent. "I don't know if Kei and the others in Gigadimension are going to survive any longer. No doubt Linda and Pirachu are making moves on the citizens while strengthening their army. They're coming close to invasion-level strength."

"That's what puzzles me, though." Histoire said. "What could they want with our dimension?"

"I actually don't know why." Mina II replied, pursing her lips in frustration. "I suspect our Histoire knows more than she lets on, but she's good enough at hiding it so I don't really know if there's something else we should know or not."

"…hang on, let me breathe. I'll head outside for a walk." Akai said as he turned around and headed for the dining room door.

As he exited, the rest of the girls sat in silence.

"…IF, if you're in love with him, shouldn't you protest the idea of him kissing other girls?" Vert turned to the brunette skeptically. "I apologize for doing so myself, for the record."

"…he won't be able to go out with anyone just yet." IF replied, her voice a little sad and lonely. "He's still got some internal problems to sort out. I can see it in his eyes. He's too insecure to satisfy anyone right now. He doesn't see how great he is."

"So says the woman in love with him. Well, I'm not complaining." Vert replied, shrugging. "But you should probably go after him and reassure him. I don't think we can afford the time to look for another method to fight Linda and Pirachu. Set him on the harem route, if you don't mind."

"By the way, where's Compa?" Aoi asked, catching everyone's attention since she was quiet the whole time.

"She's off at her part-time job helping the Planeptune General Hospital." IF replied, smiling. "Even if she's better than every doctor there, the only reason they haven't hired her is because of that massive needle of hers."

"Well, that's fine. If she'd been part of this conversation, things would only have gotten even more complicated." Aoi replied, shrugging her shoulders and leaning back in her chair. "Being one of the easiest Makers to access, she could very well be our next target if all goes well."

"We'll have to talk to Akai about that later on." Histoire replied, her tome rising up and slowly levitating in the direction of the door. "But first, IF. Please do something about him. If he can't bring himself to start this…conquest deal, then we can't begin."

It took three seconds for everyone to realize that Histoire didn't realize she was a potential target as well. It took the next three seconds for everyone to stifle their laughter to a snicker, lest they be on the receiving end of a powerful tome-to-the-face attack.

"I'll follow him. Give me a bit." IF nodded and sprinted out of the door, skidding to a stop in the hallway and looking around. She ran down the right hall and turned the corner swiftly, and spotted Akai walking with his back turned to her.

She slowed her pace, walking forward as she tapped him on the shoulder. As he turned to face her, she flashed him a grin. "Hey."

"…hey." Akai replied, his voice dulled down and less cheerful than usual. He looked lost in thought, and lost like a puppy.

"You look like you just attended a funeral, man." IF started, reaching out and patting his shoulder. "Cheer up and let's get to-"

"You really don't mind this?" Akai asked, his question so heavily layered that it made IF's heart skip a beat. She stared at him, and she knew her face was beginning to grow hot again.

"…Akai, if it's to save a whole dimension, I don't mind you kissing other girls. I love for who you are, so a few kisses here and there aren't gonna change that." She said, giving Akai a smile that looked so forced he couldn't help but notice it. She continued as if her lips had made a perfectly natural smile.

"…your face says otherwise." He replied, crossing his arms.

"…it's not like I'm perfectly okay with the idea, Akai." IF shot back, her voice now a little upset. "As much as I would like to say that it isn't a problem, I'm not entirely okay with you doing that kind of stuff with someone else. After all, you know how I feel about you. But it's not like you're doing it to cheat on me, and we're not in a relationship anyway. Besides, an entire world is at stake here. Can't afford to be very picky."

"…to be honest with you," Akai suddenly said, catching IF's attention. "I don't want to force the girls to fall in love with someone just because a world is hanging in the balance."

"Why?" IF asked, sounding clueless. "Lives could be lost by the dozens while we waste time here. You said so yourself, Akai. That means we need to make you strong as quickly as possible so that we can stand a chance against-"

"That's exactly it." He replied, cutting her off. "You and the other girls are self-sacrificial and strong, so I don't think any of you really understand what I'm trying to say. It may not mean much to them now, but none of them seem to treasure a first kiss and a first love as much as they should."

IF shot him a look as if he'd said something stupid. "But that stuff doesn't matter at all when-"

"No, IF." Akai replied, cutting her off a second time. "It does matter. There are things worse than death, and one of those is regret. Humans have it easier since they can die and be free of regret, but these girls live forever. If they don't pick their first partner wisely, they could regret it for the rest of their immortal lives."

"…Vert was right. You are too nice." IF muttered, and he tilted his head in question.

Right before she thrust her hand out and grabbed him by the collar, and then threw him into the wall.

"What are you-?"

IF closed the distance in a single fell swoop, sealing his lips shut with hers. Her mouth ran smoothly over his, and both felt their heartbeats stop for a beat before starting again in total synchronicity.

She let out a loud exhale through her nose as she pressed her body against his, and he began to grow conscious of the hand that rose to caress his face as she pressed further into the kiss. Raising his left arm, he slowly encircle her body with his arm and brought her even closer to her. He let his other hand grasp the side of her shoulder, and he closed his eyes.

Suddenly the memory of Vert's hot kiss seared its way back into his mind from the back of his brain, and he felt his body begin to act the same way Vert had done back then.

Pressing back harder against the Maker in his arms, IF let out a moan of surprise when he suddenly plunged his tongue into her mouth. Taking her body closer, he wrapped an arm tightly around her waist while his other one pressed into the back of her head and pushed her deeper against him. His tongue delved into the wet, warm recesses of her young mouth, and it slid around inside as a hot mess like a snake in heat.

IF moaned in what sounded like enjoyment, and he turned her around and pressed her against the wall. He disconnected from her, leaving the two panting heavily for breath. A small strand of saliva still connected the two, and they were highly aware of it with their senses on cloud nine.

"…why did you…kiss me?" Akai asked in between gasps of breath as he fought to control both his breath and his slowly increasing libido.

"Why did…you kiss me back…then?" She replied with a smirk as she took another deep inhale of breath. She tried to stand up, but she couldn't stand straight. "Damn it, you left me unable to stand properly."

"Should I go all the way?" He asked in a deep, primal whisper that sent shivers down IF's skin.

"…I didn't know you had this side to you as well." She shot back playfully before her face grew serious. "But this aside, my point remains clear. I will still love you even if you do stuff like this with other girls."

"…fair enough." Akai replied, nodding in confirmation and stepping back, giving IF room to walk and breathe.

"You're better at this than I thought." IF admired, lightly punching Akai's bicep. "I'm finding new reasons to like you more and more."

"You'd better not do this to me too often." Akai replied, sighing heavily. "I have enough on my mind with the whole problem."

"Anyway, come back to the room after you're done cooling off." IF replied before she winked and walked away, and Akai nodded before he turned in the other direction.

* * *

"Agh!"

Linda slammed her foot into the ground, and the floor cracked and crumbled in an explosion of dirt that left a deep crater embedded in the earth. A fissure ran outwards and broke a mannequin that had been left there in the practice arena, and it fell into the crack and was lost from sight.

"Damn it! Can't believe they got the jump on me!" Linda screamed in anger, and she smashed her morning star into the ground next to her. A much bigger crater was dented into existence, leaving the brown sandy dirt in shambles.

"Whatever you say, you brought it on yourself, chu~" Pirachu commented, floating above the ground a safe distance away from Linda. Which is, to say, is a distance of thirty meters. He levitated with his arms crossed, and he fixed his upset gaze on his partner. "We were monitoring the boy to make sure we could manipulate him for our purposes, but you went and destroyed any chance of letting that happen, chu~"

"Shut up!" Linda yelled back in frustration, and she whipped her hand towards another practice dummy. On cue, the mannequin suddenly flew towards Linda as if pulled by a whip. Linda then smashed her fist into the cloth dummy, and it sprayed apart in an explosion of white stuffing and brown scraps. "We could've just done the whole thing ourselves if we hadn't started this stupid project to begin with!"

"Well, now that this idea is ruined, we have to focus now on the development of the army of Copypastes and Anonydeaths, chu~" Pirachu replied, and he turned around and started for the exit. "Come on, chu~ We need to assess-"

"Where the hell do you get off, ordering me around?" Linda's words stopped the floating rodent in his tracks. He turned back around to meet a raging Linda's gaze, and he felt his own irritation begin to peak.

"Linda, we need to get to work. Come on." Pirachu replied, doing his best not to snap. "If we're going to make this invasion successful, we need-"

"I just said," Linda replied menacingly, pointing her morning star at him. "What makes you think you can tell me what to do? Do you just want to get back at me after I killed that nurse you wanted to keep alive?"

"Enough's enough, chu~!" He retorted, and he raised both of his arms to either side. Massive balls of magical energy the size of two story houses coalesced into existence on either side of the CFW. "I'm not going to put up with your stupidity any longer, Linda!"

"Sounds just fine, stupid rat!" Linda answered back with a feral grin, summoning her baton with her other hand and hefting it readily. "I've been wanting to beat your ass to death for a while now!"

Pirachu hurled one of the massive energy spheres, and it tore up the earth while it headed straight for Linda. Grinning, Linda simply wound up and batted it away like a baseball. It flew to the side, and it imploded in the air after striking one of the castle towers. The explosion sent a powerful shockwave the made the ground rumble as if it were angry.

Pirachu clicked his tongue in frustration before he tossed the other ball of magical energy, and then began flying around her in circles while firing a barrage of smaller missiles of energy.

"Ha! Same old tricks, rodent!" Linda sneered before reaching out with her hand and grabbing the big ball of energy with it, and she quickly clenched her fist and crushed it out of existence. She staggered forward as the assault of magical missiles struck her in the back, and she turned around and snapped her finger. A barrier of energy materialized in front of her, intercepting Pirachu's attack with ease.

"You haven't seen anything yet, chu~!" Pirachu raised his paws forward, and from them ensued a massive storm of lightning that arced around the whole arena. Windows shattered noisily with a shrill sound, leaving shards of broken glass scattered everywhere inside and out. Fire began to catch on the outer towers of the castle, and smoke began to slowly billow in thick, copious measures as it rose towards the sky.

As the two dueled and left chaos in their wake, neither noticed Magic, Trick and Judge watching from inside the castle. The CFWs were forced to squint as the flashes of light and buffets of wind tore past their bodies.

"You were right, Magic!" Trick cackled, grinning in his usual dastardly manner. "We didn't even need to do anything!"

"Yes, those two were bound to start a fight if left unchecked for long enough." Magic replied, smirking. "Those two will generate enough energy for us to annihilate that little army they're still trying to develop."

"…why are we doing that again?" Judge asked, clueless, while he moved his head out of the way of a stray magic projectile. "I thought we were going to use their army to start taking over that dimension and all."

"We're not doing that because it's a terrible idea." Magic shot back, frowning. "It's easier with just us. We're just going to absorb the energy that destroying their army will produce, and then eliminate both of those idiots before we start on the journey to revive our Lady."

"…and we're trusting a book because why?" Judge replied skeptically, shooting a doubtful glance at his comrade.

"Because you don't really know what to do without me, do you?"

A small, playful and mischievous voice spoke out of nowhere. As the three CFWs turned their heads to the source, they were greeted with a miniature woman with blonde hair, tan skin and a dark purple dress resting on top of a floating book.

"Croire." Magic acknowledged, fixing her icy gaze on the fairy-like being. "I trust you enough to follow alongside your plans. But tell me the truth: will your plan work?"

"Getting cold feet already, Magic?" Croire's face spread into a cheeky smirk, and she drew closer to the female CFW while drifting past the other two in the room. "All will be ready. You already have my word: the plan will bring back Arfoire."

"…then we have work to do." Magic replied indifferently before turning around and regarding her fellow CFWs with her gaze. "Trick, you handle the army. Turn them on one another or annihilate them yourself. I don't care. Judge, take control over the dimensional transporter. Make sure no one goes in or out. And don't destroy it."

The two CFWs nodded, and the group went their separate ways, leaving Croire floating alone in the room.

"…this should get interesting." She whispered gleefully before she disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

"So…what's the plan now?" Akai asked the people sitting around the table, which consisted of no one but Histoire. "And where's everyone else?"

"Noire, Blanc, Rom, Ram, Neptune and Nepgear have yet to return from whatever excursion they might have set out on." Histoire replied, her gaze flickering uneasily between Akai, the window nearby and the doorway. "I'm not too worried, but they've been gone for a while."

"And the others besides them?" Akai responded, looking at the vacant seats surround the three.

"Well, Mina and Mina II said they were going to look for the Lowee CPUs. Compa and IF said they would come back later, and Vert said she would play her daily hours of Four Goddesses Online." Histoire replied. "Aoi left without a word, so I'm unsure of what she's doing."

"…alright then." Akai decided, shifting forward and looking at the two girls sitting around him. "So, what's the discussion?"

"…Akai, I have no quarrel with you trying to help Gigadimension out of their predicament." Histoire answered, her tome shifting alignment so that she would face Akai. "I would even be in favor of trying to help them succeed in their plans to defeat their CFWs."

"Okay…?" Akai replied, unsure of what Histoire was getting at.

"But," Histoire said, her voice hardening. "I cannot allow Neptune and Nepgear to leave Hyperdimension."

"…why is that?" Akai asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, bluntly put, who is going to help manage Planeptune without the CPUs? I do enough work as it is since Neptune herself slacks off all the time, but it will jeopardize her safety, Nepgear's safety and the safety of this nation and its citizens." Histoire lowered her head to stare Akai in the eyes. "If I were to draw the bottom line, what if they were to die in this battle? Gigadimension cannot take responsibility for that, and neither can we."

"…but if we leave them be, they could destroy the rest of the Insurgents and the citizens." Akai argued. "Will we let innocents die?"

"It's not so easy, Akai." Histoire replied, looking at him with a grave expression. "We cannot afford to lose Neptune and Nepgear to any mistakes we might make. I cannot allow any possibility of it."

Akai stared at her, bewildered. "But if we-"

Histoire held a hand up to cut him off. "Akai, it's not that hard for you to make a decision because you…frankly, you don't really come from Hyperdimension. This isn't your home. You can offer to help anyone because you don't belong to either. But think about how difficult this can be for me and the girls. We've lived here for decades, and this is our home. If we were to let it fall to ruin, that would be the end of our lives and our legacy."

"But they pose a threat to Hyperdimension and Gigadimension as well, Histoire." Akai countered, his eyebrows narrowing. "What can we do but strike while the iron's hot?"

Histoire did not answer, instead averting her gaze. Akai could see the guilt and regret etched on her expression, but he could not bring himself to blame her for any of it.

_She's taking the weight of Planeptune all on her shoulders. _Akai thought to himself as he gazed at the fairy-like woman in front of him. _It's a tough job with tough calls. _

"Okay, that's decided!" Aoi's voice was loud and clear, startling the two as it came accompanied by the sound of a door banging loudly against the wall. As the two turned to stare at her, she just grinned and skipped over to them. "I heard everything, so no need to fill me in."

"Don't give us heart attacks, Aoi." Histoire plead, her hand resting on her chest. "I have enough weighing on my mind as it is."

"Sorry, sorry." She apologized, but she laughed as she did so. She immediately swiveled around Akai before taking a seat in the chair next to him.

"So…what are you doing here?" Akai asked, still in shock.

"Akai, you can't afford to go with Mina II just yet." Aoi replied, her eyes becoming sharp like a hunter's. They radiated a suppressed intelligence that was let out only in that moment. "You're still much weaker than you could possibly be. I don't want you dying in there, and the only thing worse would be for you to die without changing anything."

"…valid point." Akai replied, crossing his arms. "So, what do you suppose I do?"

Aoi stood up and clapped her hands twice, and the lights immediately dimmed. A projected screen suddenly popped into existence on the nearby wall, and Aoi walked up next to it. "Here, I have it all laid out."

She pressed what looked like a remote, and a picture of the four CPUs appeared. "If we were to take into account what Insurgent Mina had said earlier, the easiest way for you to get powerful as quickly as possible would be to copy the powers of all of the CPUs." Aoi switched her gaze and focused on Akai. "And we're ¼th of the way there, too. But judging by what happened earlier, that's going to be difficult now."

She pressed the button again, and a picture of the Candidates came up. "It goes without saying that the second best option would be the Candidates. But that's also difficult as well."

A third button press brought the room to a dead silence when the screen showed a picture of Kei, Chika, Histoire, Mina, IF, Compa, Nisa Gust and 5pb. "So, based on my research, the next best thing after the Candidates would be the abilities of the Oracles and the Makers."

"I see." Akai commented, gazing intently at the screen display. "You ordered them based on their level of power, huh?"

"Right." Aoi responded, laughing. She clicked the display again, and this time a picture of Cave, Broccoli, MAGES, Falcom, RED, CyberConnect2, MarvelousAQL and Tekken. "And the more Makers, the merrier."

"…well, I see your point." Akai said as the lights went back to their original brightness setting, forcing him to blink a few times for the sake of readjustment. He turned his gaze to Histoire. "What do you think, Histoire?"

But Histoire remained silent. Her face was so red that one might've mistaken her for a strawberry with blonde leaves, and she was trembling.

_Ah. She finally realized that she's also one of the targets involved. _Akai thought to himself, wondering whether or not he should comfort her or not. _Well, I did see this coming. _

"Uh, Histoire?" Akai asked, waving his hand in front of her face.

That motion snapped Histoire out of her daze, and she quickly cleared her throat and shook her head. Regaining her composure in a second, she faced Akai and cleared her throat a second time.

"I'm sorry. Err…Aoi, your plan certainly is logical." Histoire said, and Akai could detect a very strong tinge of nervousness in her voice. Aoi didn't miss it either and she grinned.

"Thanks, Histoire." She then stood up and walked over to the two of them, and she placed her hand onto the table. As she lifted it, the other two people sitting down noted that she had left slips of paper where her hand had just been.

"Whoa, what are these?" Akai asked out loud, lifting one of the black, white and indigo slips up and flipping it around.

Immediately, all of the gears clicked in his mind, and he had to suppress his reaction just so that Histoire wouldn't catch on too early. He shot a sidelong glance at Aoi, who just winked at him quickly before looking back to the Oracle of Planeptune.

"Histoire, since you're so gung-ho about discussing this with Akai, how about you do it over a nice dinner at Planeptune's best five-star restaurant, the **Nep Pleaser**?" Aoi asked her nicely, though it wasn't hard for most to tell the slight sadism in her voice.

"Wh-wh-what is this?!" Histoire exclaimed, caught completely off guard by the ticket. "Aoi, what is the meaning of-"

"Sorry, Histy. But judging by the way things are going, and with our current targets, we've got it all under control." Aoi said, grinning. "Histoire, you're the next conquest target."


	22. Chapter 21: Enfive

**Chapter 21: Enfive**

…_oh, I'm back here. _

Akai thought to himself as he looked all around, admiring the moving, living scenery of stars and galaxies that spiraled and twinkled brightly. He was back in the undefined space with an invisible floor, walls and ceiling that showed him nothing but a panoramic view of what seemed to be the universe.

"I'd better not dream this shit up every time I fall asleep." Akai muttered to himself before he placed his hands in his pockets and began walking around aimlessly.

_What am I doing here? All I do is take a nap, and then this happens. _

"I called your consciousness here."

Akai turned around, and sighed at the sight of a woman standing there. She was wearing Linda's face, only her lips weren't curved in a sinister smirk. Instead, it was a playful smile that radiated nothing but cheeriness.

"…I don't really remember much about you." Akai said, giving her a smile and approaching her casually. "I've been here a few times, but I still don't really know anything about you."

"…well, I can't really go on without giving you the full story, can I?" She said, and she snapped her fingers.

In an instant, the scenery changed. The rotating galaxies and shining stars vanished, and the blackened void was replaced with a clear and endless light blue that refreshed the eyes and the soul like a splash of cold water.

Akai widened his eyes as he beheld the amazing view below his feet, a panoramic view of a massive and lush forest that rustled gently with the wind. He stood above the grassy plains that smelled of dandelion and petunias, a sweet and fragrant scent that delighted Akai's senses.

_This place seems really familiar to me…_Akai thought to himself, and he looked around as the scenery slowly began to change around him.

"You've never been here before, but you feel like you feel like you've been here before." The woman said to him, her voice all too knowing as she walked to stand right next to Akai. "Isn't that right?"

"…yeah." Akai admitted, his eyes narrowing as a powerful ray of sunlight suddenly struck his face. Taking a step back, he raised his hand to block the light as he looked through his fingers.

Below, as they moved past the forest area and sped past the plains, Akai felt a smile naturally spread across his face as beheld the biggest rural-looking village ever to exist. Sprawling across a massive flat plain was a collection of houses and buildings that, while they looked futuristic from first glance, appeared so homely and perfect in that plain that it was serene just to lay eyes on them.

He could see people walking around below, small moving dots with barely visible arms and legs. He could see children running around and playing with each other like children do, and he could feel the happiness glowing from their faces so powerfully it was nearly tangible.

"…what is this place?" Akai asked out loud, glancing at the woman standing next to him.

"…everything has a beginning." The woman replied, a dazzling smile touching her face as she gestured to the entire world. "And for us, this is our beginning. This is Gamindustri Prime, the world that every other Gamindustri stems from."

"Sounds way too much like some sci-fi movie." Akai muttered as they moved more closely to the buildings and the people below.

The lady just laughed in reply. "Perhaps."

As they closed their distance to the ground, Akai reveled in the sensation of the cool and fragrant breeze ticking his ears and tousling his bangs as he felt his feet touch the grassy ground.

As the sound of the children laughing off in the distance reached him, Akai felt a serene feeling settle over his chest.

"This is a nice place. Kinda like heaven, or something close." Akai muttered to himself, shifting in place.

"Certainly, this is what it should be." The lady said in soft tones, and Akai turned to see her pluck a flower from the ground and sniff it delightfully. "Gamindustri Prime is undoubtedly one of the best worlds I have seen."

"...seems nice." Akai's voice grew a small thorn of suspicion. "But what's the point in bringing me to see paradise?"

The woman's face grew solemn, and she slowly raised her hand up. In a single moment, the scenery changed.

The ground of rich soil and green grass became cracked and dry like sandpaper and hard like rock. The blades of living grass all disappeared at once, leaving the ground for miles bare beyond belief.

"Where there's heaven, there's hell." The woman said gravely, her expression pained and in grief. "Where there is a paradise, there will be anarchy."

"What...is this place?" Akai breathed as he saw broken buildings littered everywhere alongside mutilated bodies and burnt debris.

"Arfoire, the Deity of Sin, does not always lose. And to the world that she has ruled and withered away to dust in, I give the name Crash Gamindustri." The lady crouched and began running her fingers almost longingly across the rocky surface. "You might have a mind to call her Arfoire Prime. My sister was the one tasked with the control and rule of this world. Alas, she did not rule with wisdom but with terror, blood and swords."

"...and that led to her eventual downfall?" Akai asked in reply, coughing as billowing smoke entered his nostrils.

"...she grew a heart of cold ice that was only made harder by the spillage of the blood of innocents." The woman stood and began walking towards the broken village ahead, but stopped after a few steps. "Eventually, she created what came to be known as the **Trojans**, a power much like the power of the CPUs. Only..."

"Only...?" Akai trailed after the words, taking a step forward.

"Only...that it would absorb the life force of those the user would see fit to drain in order to fuel its power." She said, shaking her downcast head in sadness. "Without the power of faith, it would have to go by other means. Other...disagreeable means."

"...is this the power that Linda and Pirachu have been using?" Akai asked, growing more alarmed.

"The Trojans were brought to Gigadimension by I know not how, and those two are in possession of its power now." The lady replied. "They used its power to bring the world to its knees, and they will do the same to whoever dares stand in their way."

"...so, if Arfoire Prime was your sister...what's your name?" Akai asked, turning to face the woman.

For a moment, she was silent. She turned around, and she suddenly changed her form.

Her hair suddenly trailed down to her waist, and it shone with a rich white sheen. Her eyes no longer looked like an imitation of anyone, as her irises flashed through every known color imaginable at an incomprehensible speed. She suddenly had a white one piece dress on that stopped at her ankles, complementing her fair white skin.

"...my name is Enfive, CPU of Gamindustri Prime." She said proudly, though her eyes were still downcast.

_...isn't there some sort of Enfive thing like a game or game console or...something? _

"Akai, Magic and her fellow CFWs are planning to revive Arfoire. However, the Arfoire they are planning to revive is not the Arfoire they think it is." She said, her eyes almost hypnotic as she spoke with alarmingly contrasting urgency. "The Arfoire they will awaken is my sister."

Akai stared at her almost dumbly. "That doesn't sound good."

"If they bring her back, she will end up creating another Crash Gamindustri." Enfive replied, walking forward and seizing the boy by the shoulders. "There cannot be more than one Crash Gamindustri, or there will be an imbalance that will tear apart the fabric of the world as we know it."

"...so, basically, stop Magic." Akai summed up. "But I can't do that as I am now. I'm too weak, and the rest of the CPUs are not even sure if they'll help me. The CPUs of Gigadimension are dead, too. How can I do this?"

Enfive just smiled and removed her hands from him. "I already gave you my power, remember? You just haven't made full use of it yet."

"All I understand is that I can copy other people's abilities through kissing them. That, and the fact that my eyes are rainbow-colored like yours now." Akai replied, shrugging his shoulders almost despairingly. "And in order to make myself stronger, I have to make the girls fall in love with me to make my powers stronger."

"...I gave you my powers when you had been summoned by the Histoire from Gigadimension." The woman muttered in a low voice, drawing closer to Akai and stating him in the eyes. "After all, Gamindustri Prime serves as the Nexus for all inter-dimensional travel. No one, not even Histoire, knows that. So you've never learned anything about your true abilities. After all, no one knows. Except for me, that is."

"...then tell me." Akai pleaded, his voice taking on a tone of desperation. "Tell me how to use my powers."

"...very well." Enfive said, and she snapped her fingers. Instantly, they were transported to a balcony overlooking Gamindustri Prime. The floor was made of glass, and there was a table near the railing alongside two chairs. She walked over to them and sat down in one, motioning for Akai to sit down as well.

"...what you know about your abilities isn't exactly correct, but it's not that false either." Enfive began, crossing one leg over another. "You say that you _copy _abilities, but that's not necessarily the case."

"Then what happens, exactly?" Akai replied.

"...you have the ability to make your imagination become reality. You can summon objects, use magic and what have you. I assume you've done that before." Enfive tilted her head and looked at Akai.

Akai nodded in reply, not saying a word.

"Now...you actually have the potential to use all of the CPU's abilities without any requirements at all, no kiss or anything."

Those words made Akai stand up in surprise, but Enfive just bade him to calm down with her hand. He sat back down and listened attentively.

"To be quite honest, it is you who is stopping yourself from doing just that." Enfive stated matter-of-factly.

Akai stared at her incredulously. "...what do you-"

"I'd paid attention to you for a long while now, before I made sure that you were the one to inherit my powers." Enfive replied, crossing her arms. "You are kind, but you resent yourself for not being unique and likeable to others unlike your sisters and brothers. When you reached out to people, they shunned you because of your ability. When you did what you wanted to do, they shunned you anyway, making you out to be a pariah. A student to admire, a guy to like...but never a student to congratulate and a man to love."

"..." Akai remained quiet, the images of his life on Earth coming back to him.

"You put on a front and remain strong, trying to lose your loneliness in the fun times you have with your friends." She continued almost mercilessly. "You care about your friends, and you don't want to lose them. But you yearn for true companionship, true love and true acknowledgement, something you were never able to achieve in your world."

"...please, don't say any more." Akai said, his voice wavering and ready to crack.

"Yet you turn away people who love you because you're afraid. You think you're not good enough, so you keep them on hold because you think their emotions will eventually wither and die."

"Stop!"

"You're torn between being selfish and being selfless, and you can't balance either even though you know you should."

"I get it already!"

"Akai."

Akai, having lowered his eyes to stare downwards, hesitantly lifted his head to look at Enfive.

She just gave him a smile. "Despite all that, you know what to do already. You're just limiting yourself to make it all more interesting. You're giving yourself a handicap so that things aren't so boring."

Enfive stood up and walked over to him, smiling all the while. She leaned down, her face a short distance from his. "But Akai...you already have the ability to start and end thus already. I gave you the cheat codes to Gamindustri. All you need to do now is the impossible."

Akai stood up and turned his back to Enfive, staring down at the cities below. "...if you know that much about me, why did you pick me out of a bunch of people who could do so much better?"

"...because I like you. Got a problem?" Enfive shot back, walking over to him.

As he turned to look at her, she poked his cheek with her finger. "You already know that your emotional problems aren't really that important. You're just making it more dramatic to make things more interesting. A stupid reason, but one I won't blame you for."

"...guilty as charged. Sue me." Akai admitted, breathing out a loud sigh before giving her a wide grin. "So? I already know that you're about to ask me something, so do me a favor and ask the question already."

"...yeah, you're no fun when you admit to knowing the answer already." Enfive pouted, and then flashed him a small smile. "I have a request. If you know it already, then I'm sending you back. I'll be watching you, and all the things you do from here on out."

"You sound like a stalker." Akai retorted.

Enfive just flicked him on his forehead, and Akai felt his limbs go slack. As his head hit the floor, he saw the world go black.

* * *

And he was greeted with his ceiling the instant he opened his eyes.

"...damn." Akai sighed as he got up from his bed and yawned. "I take one nap, and I visit another dimension."

"Hey, Akai!" Aoi yelled as she burst inside the room. "I've got a surprise for you that'll make tonight perfect!"

Alai turned around to see Aoi grinning while holding up a dark crimson swallowtail suit and white tie. He could see the black collared shirt underneath, and he felt a grin come onto his lips.

"Damn." Akai muttered appreciatively, walking forward and feeling the fabric in his fingers. "Nice suit."

"You were out for four hours!" Aoi replied worriedly. "I had to go through your enormous wardrobe just to find this and then clean it!"

"Thanks, Aoi." Akai said as he grabbed the suit and tossed it onto his unmade bed.

"Whoa, did you dream up something good?" Aoi asked, looking at him curiously. "You seem...different."

"...yeah, kinda." Akai replied as he looked down on the suit.

_I'll have to follow through on Enfive's favor. _

"Hey, Aoi."

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just getting serious."


	23. Chapter 22: Set in Motion

**Chapter 22: Set in Motion**

"Jeez…" Histoire muttered to herself while readjusting her sitting position on her floating tome as she hovered towards Akai's room. "Why did I have to go along with this…?"

She wore a miniature black silk dress complete with a pair of black heels, and she had a single silver bracelet on her left wrist. Her pigtails and her cap were gone now, her blonde hair now let down to flow to her shoulders. Even the color of her tome had changed from its standard purple to a mature black with silver lining. She fingered her bangs restlessly as she stopped in front of the door.

_Mina just pushed me forward, telling me this and that about advice on dates… _She complained to herself, irritated as she called back to mind vivid images of the earlier afternoon. _Pulling out advice from so many magazines it makes my head spin, telling me to look flashy and be flirty…what does she think I am?_

Histoire raised her arm to knock on the door, but her arm faltered as she moved it to knock on the wooden door in front of her.

…_what am I even doing here? _

She suddenly jumped as the door swung open on its own, and Histoire beheld Aoi standing in the doorway grinning from ear to ear.

"You're here! Perfect!" She exclaimed excitedly as she moved forward, walked behind Histoire and rushed to usher her inside. "You need to see this now!"

"Wai-what are you-" Histoire couldn't finish a single sentence as she was brought inside, Aoi closing the door behind the two, and brought to the living room in a hurry. Aoi stopped her in place and immediately winked before she exited the room, skipping towards the master bedroom as if she were a little girl.

"…goodness, she surprised me." Histoire let out a sigh of relief as Aoi disappeared from view, and she leaped off of her tome. Landing on the soft cushions of the couch, Histoire sat down and took a deep breath.

_I can't believe I'm actually going along with this. It's almost as if-_

"Okay, Histoire, get ready for this!" Aoi's loud voice chopped through Histoire's thoughts like a meat cleaver through melting butter, turning the Oracle's attention to the direction of her voice.

And for a moment, all was quiet.

When the first footstep was heard, Histoire realized that she had begun to tense. Checking her forehead with her palm, Histoire noticed sweat on it. And when she looked down, she spotted her hand idly fiddling with the end of her dress.

_Am I…nervous? _

"Wow, I didn't figure you would get those kinds of clothes."

Histoire turned at the sound of Akai's voice. And the minute she saw him, Histoire froze.

Akai walked into the living room wearing a dark red swallowtail coat over a black collared long-sleeved shirt, dark red slacks and black leather shoes. And on his chest, there was a white bowtie tidying up his look.

"…you look good." Histoire commented, refusing to say any more. She felt her mouth tripping up, the words she wanted to say mixing with the words she didn't realize she was about to say.

_He looks handsome in that coat…wait, what am I thinking?!_

"Thanks." Akai thanked sheepishly, walking forward and stopping directly in front of Histoire. Getting down on one knee to see Histoire eye-to-eye, he smiled and bowed. "You yourself look splendid tonight, if I do say so myself."

Histoire felt the room heating up like an oven, and she tried her best to keep her composure. Feeling her heart skip a beat as Akai's eyes connected with hers again, Histoire felt like the world had fallen away and nothing else was worth focusing on anymore.

"You're much more prepared than I am, though." Akai replied, laughing as he stood back up, and he gestured to his clothes. "You have those custom made clothes, and this just came out of my closet. I didn't even know I had these."

"Well, it's good that you had it. You look handsome in it, so it's not a problem."

_WHAT. AM. I. SAYING?! _Histoire, belatedly realizing what she had just said, wanted to slap herself in the face with her own tome and then freeze herself in a Lowee blizzard.

"You flatter me, Histoire." Akai replied, and he offered his hand to her. "Now, shall we? I'd feel a little bad for the driver if we made him wait too long."

"Driver?" Histoire asked, taking his hand and then leaping onto her tome. Floating upwards until her body was on the same height as Akai's face, he nodded before they walked outside of the room.

…_is he really serious about…doing this with me? _Histoire thought nervously as she moved forward alongside her "date." As they rounded corners and walked through the hallways, she felt the estranged stares of the Basilicom staff all over her body. Trying her best to ignore the people that were fixing their entranced gazes on her, she continued onwards.

_Mina, why did you have to tell me so many things from the magazine?! _Histoire complained in her mind as she stole another anxious glance at her companion who was walking alongside her and looking so relaxed and natural it made the Oracle feel even worse. So many things that the Lowee Oracle had jammed inside Histoire's mind by way of her ears were racing through her mind, like effective seduction tactics and behavioral tips. _I can't stop thinking about them!_

As they approached the exit, Akai opened the door for Histoire and gestured for her to go out first. Histoire floated out, and she was greeted with a surprising sight.

There, at the foot of the staircase, was a sleek black limousine parked and waiting. A chauffeur was standing next to the driver's seat, bowing in respect to the pair.

"A car." Histoire stated dumbly, unable to process it properly. She turned her eyes to Akai, bereft of words and in complete disbelief. "A car?"

"…it's not like I can let Aoi do all the work." Akai replied with an embarrassed smile. "She found the suit, so I can do at least this much."

_At least this much?! _Histoire howled in her mind, unable to reply verbally. _This car looks like it cost a fortune just to rent!_

"Car aside, we're going to head to the restaurant now." Akai cut her train of thought in half suddenly. "Any business you'd like to take care of?"

"Well…" Histoire trailed off, unsure of what to say. "I can only think of the extra workload doing this is going to give me."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Akai replied, walking over to the limousine and pulling the door open for Histoire. "I already took care of tomorrow's share of work, so you have a free day and a long night's sleep to look forward to after we're done here."

Histoire stared at him for the umpteenth time, words unable to express her shock. Slack jawed, the Oracle of Planeptune had nothing left to say. No objection left possible, Histoire consented and floated into the limousine passenger seat.

Akai nodded, winked to Aoi who was watching them from the nearby window, and then shut the door.

* * *

_So…this is the Nep Pleaser, huh? _Akai thought to himself as he admired the restaurant building in front of the side window.

Unlike most of the white buildings in Planeptune, the Nep Pleaser was a startlingly dark grey. It looked clean and high-class, complete with rich-looking citizens of various ages standing around the entrance dressed in colorful, upper-class attire and chatting with wine glasses in hand. The entrance looked as if it had been carved out of marble, the pillars near the doorway similar to the Greek and Roman pillars of Earth.

The windows square-ish and white, and were alight with dim yellow candles. Behind the shades were the shadows of diners conversing with one another pleasantly whilst they ate their food.

"…this doesn't seem like it fits the name Nep Pleaser." Akai commented, turning to the girl hovering next to him. "Why is it called the Nep Pleaser?"

"To be honest, she named it that with the intention of making it the best restaurant she could ever possibly experience." Histoire replied, letting out a sigh. "But after being unable to meet the already high-expectations for the food supply, I stepped in and changed her mind. After we had a civil conversation between myself and Purple Heart, we turned it into a fancy diner reminiscent of older times."

"I see. Get the more sensible side of her out to do it, huh?" Akai muttered, smiling to himself. "Well, we're here. Shall we enter?"

"Yes, of course." Histoire agreed, trying to make sure her voice didn't sound as nervous as she actually was.

The driver got out of the car first and walked all the way around, opening the door for Akai and Histoire. Akai exited first, stepping out into the moonlight and onto the sidewalk. Histoire could hear his leather shoes clatter against the pavement, which didn't help her get comfortable at all.

"Shall we," Akai extended his hand outwards, offering it to the Oracle. "Lady Histoire?"

Averting her gaze from him, she let him take her hand, and he escorted her out of the limousine elegantly. Histoire immediately felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her skin as she noticed people turning their heads at the pair.

_Everyone's looking at us. _Histoire tried to avert her gaze, but there were people everywhere directing their stares at her. She felt a tingle going up her spine, and the back of her neck went cold. _I'm being looked at…_

But when she glanced Akai's face, decorated with a relaxed and assuring smile, Histoire felt a small bit of warmth spread throughout her body. The air that got caught in her lungs came out all at once in the form of a sigh. The Oracle felt the warmth of Akai's hand passing through hers, making her feel much happier than how she felt a moment ago.

"I said to relax, Histoire." Akai said, laughing softly as he led her by the hand towards the staircase. He began walking up the stairs as Histoire hovered upwards towards the doorway. "You need to breathe and chill out. Work's too strenuous for you as it is."

"…you're right. You're right." Histoire repeated, nodding incessantly as they reached the door. Akai knocked lightly on the door, and a pale man poked his head out of the doorway. Upon seeing the two standing there, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Ah, it is you!" He exclaimed, delighted, as he opened the door wide and gestured for the two to come inside. "Please, follow me. Your reservations are ready."

"…you really came prepared." Histoire commended appreciatively as Akai nodded and greeted the man before they began following him to their seats.

"Well, this place is really fancy." Akai replied sheepishly, admiring the interior of the restaurant. "Like I could afford to skimp out on anything."

True to Akai's words, the Nep Pleaser was a very impressive looking fine dining restaurant. The inside was paved with lush looking red carpet designed with an **N **emblem in the cloth. The tablecloths that covered every table was a silken-looking lavender-colored tablecloth, adorned with magenta accents across the rims. In the center of each and every table, surrounded by golden candle-holders and dimly flickering candles, was a white vase with lilac flowers sticking out in every direction and filling the entire establishment with a very pleasant, relaxing aroma.

The curtains were a deep, dark purple, and the chandeliers hanging from above their heads were the same kind of gold color as the candleholders. And in the center of it all was a platform with four staircases linked to it much like the points of a compass. On this stage was a single, black grand piano being beautifully played by a man in a suit. The song playing was further soothing to the mind, the notes smooth and light on the ears as if they were lulling everyone to sleep.

As Histoire and Akai walked forward through the tables and chairs while following their guide, they did their best to ignore the customers that shot them glances and did double takes.

They were walked to one of the closest tables to the stage, directly next to one of the staircases that was connected to the platform. Akai suddenly released Histoire's hand, making her realize in embarrassment that she had not been thinking of anything else but his hand as they had been walking, and he took the step forward towards one of the chairs.

"Here, Histoire." He offered, pulling the seat out for her. "Take a seat, if you will be so inclined."

"…mm." Still trying to process how fixated she had been on the feeling of Akai's hand in hers, Histoire nodded and proceeded to hover to the chair. She floated down and sat onto the chair, fixing her hair self-consciously while ignoring the continued glances and stares from other guests.

_Why am I so nervous?! _Histoire screamed inside, though her face did not betray a single word of what she was thinking. _Why can't I focus on anything but Akai?! _

She directed her eyes at the young man sitting across from her. Her eyes took in every detail, from his neatly combed and trimmed black hair and the hypnotic effect of his iridescent eyes to the alluring shade of sexy red that his coat displayed multitudes of.

_Wait, stop paying attention to his looks, Histoire! _The Oracle suddenly realized what she was doing and slapped her cheeks with her hands subtly, making sure no one could see her do that. _I don't really care about his clothes that much! _

"Ready to order, Histoire?" Akai asked calmly, surprised when his companion reacted as if he had asked her to perform a backflip. "Um…or maybe not?"

"Err…" Histoire trailed off, picking up the menu in front of her and beginning to skim the items hurriedly. "Uh, let's see…I think…wait, no…what about-"

"Histoire." Histoire looked up at her name being called, her eyes meeting Akai's slightly amused smile. "Come on, just relax. I don't bite."

"…r-right. Forgive me." Histoire replied, hiding her face with the menu so that he couldn't see it. "I'm ready to order."

Inside, however, Histoire felt mentally exhausted already. _I get the feeling this is gonna be a long night._

* * *

"I'm glad to see you're safe, Mina."

Mina II nodded at a small space in the air in the shape of a rectangle that looked much like the rectangular shape of a television monitor. The rims glowed with purple energy. And on a screen of some magical sorts was a slightly fuzzy display that showed Insurgent Histoire's face smiling in relief.

The Insurgent of Lowee was sitting in Histoire's office, the small rectangle of a display hovering above the desk neatly arranged with papers, pens and a single miniature desktop computer.

"I'm glad you guys are holding out as well." Mina II replied, smiling. "How did Judge go?"

"We drove off Judge, and Chika killed Brave."

That last statement made Mina II's eyebrow rise in surprised response, and she gave her fellow former Oracle a mixed, conflicted smile. "Tell her I said congratulations."

"I will." Insurgent Histoire replied, nodding. "I'm surprised you actually found Akai so quickly. I'd expected you take at least a week."

"Well, he has also been pretty busy here in Hyperdimension." Mina II replied, an amused smile creeping onto her face. "He's been getting progressively stronger even before I made contact with him. And now that he knows about his abilities, he's actively getting even stronger."

"Good." Histoire replied, nodding her head. "The stronger he gets, the sooner he can fix this mess."

Mina II tilted her head in response. "You make it sound like something worse has happened."

Histoire nodded, her face darkening with concern and worry. "Ever since Linda came back, she and Pirachu have been waging a full-scale battle in their capital. They've been leveling buildings, killing innocents and bashing heads enough to throw the rest of Gigadimension into confused turmoil."

"What?!" Mina II stood up from her seat in a heat, throwing her arms to either side in a display of complete confusion. "What the hell is going on over there?!"

"If only I could explain it, Mina." Histoire replied gravely. "Trick, Magic and Judge also haven't been seen since Linda and Pirachu have begun their war. I feel they're up to something, but any hope of getting information was dashed the minute Linda and Pirachu blew apart their own castle and obliterated half their capital within half a day."

"What's our plan now, Histoire?" Mina II replied, taking a deep breath and siting back down onto the couch. "It'd be so easy if those two killed each other, but I get the feeling that's not going to happen."

"Our only option right now is to wait for them to wear themselves out, and then try and detain them." Histoire replied, her voice hopeful yet also ragged and exhausted. "But we can't do that without Akai's help. The possibility of Magic's interference is too high."

"Perfect. Exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." Mina II replied. Her eyes growing eager. "Perhaps if we wait for Magic and her other cronies to reveal themselves, we can launch a final, full-scale attack and capture them all at once! Once that's done, we can-"

"We can't do that, Mina." Histoire denied Mina II, shaking her head in reply. "We could lose such a battle. The risk of the citizens and soldiers being annihilated is too high."

"But they'll die anyway if we don't take a chance!" Mina II protested, crossing her arms. "They could just tear us down if they really wanted to, you know! The only thing keeping them from tearing out our throats now is tearing out each other's first!"

"Ladies, please."

Mina II turned in surprise to see Aoi standing in the doorway, leaning on the wooden casually with a sly grin. Aoi pushed herself off of the door and walked inside, closing and locking the door behind her. "At least lock the door or something. Decency and privacy are a necessity."

"What are you doing here?" Mina II replied, narrowing her eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, you're Akai's pet."

"Sister." Aoi shot back, venom laced in the word. "Pet is not an accurate description for our relationship. An inappropriate one, at that. Sister is a better word to describe what I am."

"Whatever pleases you." The blue-haired replied, shrugging. "None of this answers my initial question."

"Here. Akai wanted me to give you this." The brunette replied, fishing a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and handing it over to the Lowee Insurgent.

Mina II took it from her and slowly unfurled the small piece of paper, revealing a small letter. As her eyes moved downwards, slowly scanning the words, Mina II's eyes widened and widened until they looked as if they were bulging out of their sockets.

"Histoire!" She cried out in shock, turning to her fellow Insurgent and raising the piece of paper up to the display. "What do you think he means by this?!"

The Gigadimension Histoire leaned forward, her eye squinting to read the words.

"…I don't know, Mina." Histoire replied, having finished the letter and left in a state of near-speechless reply. "I don't know what he intends to do."

"Lemme see that." Aoi replied, walking forward and snatching the paper out of Mina II's hands. Ignoring the protests that Mina II rose, Aoi skimmed the paper quickly.

As she finished reading the words, she frowned.

"What on earth are you planning, Akai?"

_Histoire is not how everyone thinks she is. _

Akai's thoughts ran on overdrive as he fixed his subtle gaze on the Oracle sitting across from him.

_She is reliable, independent and highly intelligent. Mature, sensible and with a powerful drive to move forward, she is perfect for the role of Oracle. _

Akai continued to think as he cut a piece of grilled salmon and placed it into his mouth. The slightly smoky flavor combined with the spices and salt sent a tidal wave of deliciousness roaring through his taste buds.

_Everyone knows this, which is why everyone turns to her when they expect something done. They expect results when it comes to Histoire, thanks to her doing the work instead of Neptune. _

_But with that in mind, Histoire is constantly pressured by other people to do what Neptune doesn't. While that has created a powerful drive to work for her…_

Akai glanced at Histoire's face, which was pre-occupied with trying to occupy herself in her food.

_Since she's been constantly expected to do great things in Neptune's place, she is also under a lot of mental stress. Like a secretary, but more than ten times busier. _

_Thanks to Histoire's sense of responsibility and her ability, she easily does the work in Neptune's place while letting Neptune do as she pleases to some extent. Despite what she says about Neptune's irresponsibility and how she treats her, Histoire is quite caring. Almost like a mother. _

_But when it comes to her own interpersonal relationships, she's like a shy teenager. _

Akai shot another glance at Histoire, this one not subtle at all. Histoire noticed it, and quickly averted her gaze back to her food as if that had never happened.

_She has no experience when it comes to dates. She doesn't have a lot of friends, either. She has too much work on her hands for either. But whether she likes it or not, and whether she has noticed it or not, that kind of work-focused mindset has set a social rift between her and most others. _

_But thanks to the pressure and expectations that she's been experiencing for decades on end, she feels strange about being the person led instead of being the one leading. She feels lost, and she's probably experiencing emotions she's not used to feeling. _

_There, that uneasy expression on her face. _Akai noted Histoire's eyes flicker to him for the quarter of a second, then another spot in the restaurant, and then back to her food. _While she fails to admit it to herself, she is filled with feelings that she has no way to know how to deal with. _

_Her lack of experience is frustrating. But at the same time, she doesn't hate it. This conflict within her is creating a rift that is making her unstable, both mentally and emotionally. _

Akai took a sip of the fruit cocktail that was set to the side of his plate to refresh his thoughts and his throat.

_A good start to a first date. Her impression of me was already good thanks to talking to her before, but that made it easier for us to become close as mere friends. With this incident, it's easy to destabilize her thoughts and to make me become something she chooses to think about a lot. _

Akai looked to the right, where one of the waiters was standing at the ready. Upon meeting eyes, Akai nodded to the waiters and glanced towards the piano. The man nodded in reply before he ran up to the stage and walked over to the man playing. As they whispered to one another, Akai allowed a small smile on his face.

_The plan is perfect, so far. With this, her impression of me is being muddled and mixed up with her newly destabilized emotions. It's nothing like the feeling of love I need to recreate, but it's a good start. _Akai's smile grew wider as the man at the piano looked at him and nodded before walking off the stage.

_As expected of reading The World God Only Knows and playing dating sims. I already know everything I need to know. _

"Akai?" Histoire suddenly asked as he stood up. "What are you-?"

"Give me the title of a love song, Histoire."

"Eh?" Histoire could only stare at the sudden question. "Why do you-"

"Just tell me." Akai replied, smiling.

"Um…" Histoire trailed off as she stared into space whilst trying to think. "What about…this one I know called **My Dearest**?"

_A challenge. Thank god I took enough lessons. _

"Interesting choice." Akai replied, walking towards the stairs and beginning to walk onto the platform with the piano. "I like your taste."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Histoire asked, standing up on the chair and rising up on her tome to hover above the table. "What are you doing?"

Akai just smiled and walked up to the stage. Sitting down on the grand piano, he ignored the stares that others were starting to give him as he opened the lid of the grand piano.

_This entire plan is crazy. _

"But not like I can talk." Akai laughed in spite of himself as his hands reached for the keys. "My Dearest, huh? I'll give it a shot."

* * *

"Hey, Nep. Jr!"

Neptune called out cheerily, popping out of a pile of junk food wrappers and swallowing a large hotdog in a single gulp. She emerged from the pile and approached her little sister, who was sitting on a stool near the counter.

_I can't believe we spent more than five hours in a convenience store. _Nepgear thought to herself. _At least they have a few arcade games here too. _

"Nep. Jr, get off that stool and join me here!" Neptune groaned, rolling around on the floor as if she were a cat. "C'mon, little sis! C'moooooooooon~"

"Hey, get back here!" Nepgear turned in surprise at the loud male voice that shouted, only to see a police guard running towards her older sister. "You need to pay for those!"

"You won't get these off me for all the money I own!" Neptune replied, pulling out a pair of star-shaped shades and donning them. "I can take it outta your paycheck, y'know!"

"Get back and pay for it!" The guard roared back, charging the CPU aggressively.

"Not gonna get these for all the Credits you got in your pockets!" Neptune shot back, spinning on her heel and zipping past her little sister and away from the large security guard.

Nepgear sighed and moved aside, letting the guard rumble past her as she collected her thoughts.

…_copying powers by making people fall in love and kissing them? Isn't that something out of an anime? It's really strange…but it's real. _

_But…it's so weeeeeeeird~!_

Nepgear felt her insides clam up and squish themselves against one another as the thought occurred to her. Clenching her fists, closing her eyes and tensing her legs, Nepgear felt squeamish to the max.

"Here, little sis." Nepgear turned around to see her big sister wearing the same pair of sunglasses, now with a receipt stuck to the right lens. She handed Nepgear a single cup of Haagen-Dazs. "It's real good."

"Um…thanks." Nepgear replied, forcing a smile as she took the ice cream cup from her sister's hands. "Hey, big sis?"

"What is it, Nep. Jr?" She asked in reply, pulling out her own cup of ice cream and devouring it in a single swig. "If it's about my weight, know that the answer is something you would not like to hear. You'd probably just hate me as a woman."

"Uh…what do you think of Akai's powers? And everything else that they said earlier today." Nepgear asked uneasily, her gaze switching quickly between her sister and her ice cream.

"Hmm…" Neptune vaulted onto one of the stools and planted her rear onto it, and she rested her chin onto her palm as if she were lost in thought. "It's kinda neat, isn't it?"

"…what?" Nepgear was practically unable to think of a proper reply to her sister's surprising statement.

"Well, he gets awesome powers AND girls at the same time. I think any guys in his position would be pretty happy, huh? And with those kinds of powers, he's practically invincible." Neptune continued, pulling out another cup of ice cream and digging into it.

"But…" Nepgear started, but she stopped. She couldn't think of the words to say.

"Well, powers aside, Akai's a good person." Neptune sighed, finishing the last of her ice cream and popping open a 500ml bottle of soda. "He seems like he really doesn't want anyone to die in Gigadimension. By the way, that name still seems really unimaginative to me."

Nepgear just nodded, absorbing the words one by one as she slowly enjoyed the vanilla flavor of her ice cream.

"Akai's powers might be the key to saving a whole dimension, so there's not a lot I can say." Neptune said, looking up through the window in front of her towards the night sky. "But I don't want people to die either. So whatever he plans to do, I'm all for it."

Nepgear looked at her uneasily again, her expression reluctant. "Even if you have to kiss him to help him?"

"Well…" Neptune blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Jeez, if you think about it that way, it's kinda embarrassing…"

Suddenly, Neptune's eyes widened. "But now that I think about it, Akai's going to have a really hard time if his plan is to go with the copying."

"Why is that?" Nepgear asked, genuinely curious.

"Think about it." Neptune said matter-of-factly. "Akai's supposed to make people fall in love with him and copy their powers. But if the people he needs to copy from already know that he is going to try courting them, he'll have a much harder time trying to make it work."

"…you're right." Nepgear realized, widening her eyes. "Why don't you use your brain for work if you can figure stuff like this out?"

"Agh! That's mean!" Neptune complained, pouting. Her frown disappeared in an instant as she returned to the conversation, however. "But anyways…I wonder what his plan is…"

* * *

"I can't believe you actually played the piano." Histoire said, laughing as the two exited the restaurant side-by-side. "You were really good, don't worry."

"Thank you for that." Akai replied, laughing along with the Oracle as the two made their way slowly down the stairs. "I was actually hard pressed to play that as I did. It was pretty difficult, especially considering I haven't played the piano in a few weeks."

"Well, no need for concern, Akai. You did wonderfully." Histoire assured him gently as they reached the foot of the staircase.

He just smiled back at her and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for accompanying me tonight, Histoire. I know you've been busy lately, and I still made you go out of your way to do this with me."

"No, it's quite alright." Histoire replied, refusing with slow shakes of the head. "I needed this for quite some time. In fact, I should thank you for helping me with my work. I don't know what I should do tomorrow, thanks to you."

"Well, then I guess I should be happy." Akai replied, smiling widely.

Histoire nodded, and her face grew a little more serious. "…Akai, what is your plan for helping Mina II and Gigadimension? You have told no one and, frankly, that worries me."

Akai's smile disappeared, replaced by a face emanating resolve. His transformation was so sudden and different from his face a second ago that it stunned Histoire. "About that…gather everyone tomorrow."

* * *

**The next morning…**

"So?" Noire asked, crossing her arms as she stared at Akai. "What's your plan?"

The rest of the CPUs along with their little sisters save for Uni, Histoire, Mina, Mina II, IF and Compa stood across from Akai.

Akai just looked them in the eyes one by one.

"I will not be copying anyone's powers."


	24. Chapter 23: Planning and Visitation

**Chapter 23: Planning and Visitation**

"The Sharicite of the defeated Goddesses?"

Akai nodded to Aoi, turning to her while juggling a knife he summoned using his powers. "Yeah. I got a tip from Mina II when she told me that the CFWs had taken the Sharicite from the nations before running them into the ground. Our first and foremost plan is to get the Sharicite from the CFWs and then split."

"I see." Aoi nodded, putting her finger to her chin as if lost in thought. "What would they want that for?"

"We don't know." Akai responded, getting off of his bed, tossing the knife away to dematerialize, and reaching for his TV remote, switching the channels at an idle yet freakishly fast pace. "But I came up with a theory. Since the CPUs and their respective candidates have been defeated, there is no one left to become a CPU, right?"

"Yeah." Aoi suddenly raised her hand while she made a point. "Hang on, though. Here, the goddesses haven't really changed for a while. And in Ultradimension, from what I've read, CPUs are decided through an object known as the CPU Core. But how does it work in Ultradimension?"

"Ultradimension's is plain and simple." Akai replied, switching the TV to HDMI and turning on the Wii. He then whipped out Super Smash Bros. Brawl and stuck the disc inside, tossing a Gamecube controller to Aoi while pulling out a Wii Remote and Nunchuk for himself. "CPUs are appointed by the previous CPU. They can be chosen, regardless of whoever they are. It's like a position."

"Okay." Aoi nodded, her eyes turning to the screen as she placed her cursor onto Samus. "So…what are we planning to do, exactly?"

Akai narrowed his eyes as he moved his in-game pointer over to Falco and selected him. "Well, according to what I've heard, the CPUs had appointed their successors before their deaths."

"That's great news!" Aoi said, ignoring the startup sound of the game as Akai chose an arena. "That means there's-"

"Issue one happens to be the fact that the CFWs severed the connection between anyone and everyone and the Sharicite." Akai replied, his face remaining the same as he began dueling Aoi one on one. His character, Falco, proceeded to grab Samus and then launch her off of the platform with a throw before delivering a side smash that sent her flying farther. "We can't easily discern who the appointed CPUs are. People may be fighting for the Insurgents, but everyone knows that the CPUs were killed in cold blood. That is a faith destroyer, any way you slice it. Whoever the CPU may be, they will know that people's faith has been lost and sunk farther than it's ever sunk."

"True." Aoi acknowledged, managing to use Samus' grapple beam to recover. "You don't sound done. Are there other problems?"

"You bet." Akai sighed, his tone irritated as Falco dodged a single charged shot and fired his own laser pistol at the armored woman Aoi was controlling. "With the abrupt deaths of both the previous CPUs and the previous Candidates, the Sharicite's been cut off from most anyone. It won't respond to anyone, as far as I've been told."

"Okay, so the Sharicite's out cold, too." Aoi replied, beginning to grit her teeth as the Smash Ball suddenly appeared above the stage. "So what are we gonna do?"

"Step 1 is to get the Sharicite back, and defeat any CFWs we can in the process." Akai replied, a small grin appearing on his face as Falco performed an upwards flip kick and acquired the smash ball. The Landmaster Tank quickly followed suit, and smashed onto Aoi's avatar and sent it flying offscreen. A suitable explosion followed after, signaling Samus' death. "We need more information. And fast. Histoire II's info is not unreliable, but it comes at the cost of time. Too much of it. Going there and seeing the situation ourselves will allow us to assess the situation more easily at the cost of less time."

"I see." Aoi replied, waiting for her character to respawn and descend from the sky on the rebirth platform. "But what are we going to do with the Sharicite once we get it?"

"I theorize we can jumpstart the Sharicite with the CPUs we already have here." Akai replied, sighing as the Landmaster Tank dissipated into nonexistence. "The faith in the goddesses over in Gigadimension is weak, but it's not like it's not there. We can use that to our advantage. Once the Sharicite is up and running, we can use it to locate the hidden CPUs."

"After that, we…?" Aoi asked, her voice uncertain. She put the controller down, her focus no longer on the game.

"…after that?" Akai turned to her, tossing his own controller onto the mattress. "After that, we recruit the new CPUs and bust some heads." A grin spread across his face.

Aoi shared the grin as well, standing up. "Alright, I'm okay with that! How can I help?"

"You start out by training and completing Quests." Akai replied, standing up. "Like it or not, we're going to start fighting things on the level of Gods. And we all need to get stronger. You included. Plus, we're going to need quite some money for the next phase of our plan."

"Alright, I can go with that." Aoi replied eagerly, smashing a fist into her palm before she started walking for the door. "I'll just store the money in the shared account. The money I won't spend, anyway."

And with that, she closed the door.

Leaving Akai alone.

Akai turned off the television and closed his eyes, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"…sorry, Aoi. I can't really let you in on the backup plans." He spoke regretfully to himself. "They're classified information for my eyes only, anyway. Not like I can tell you that I lied to the CPUs, can I?"

He opened his eyes and turned to his bedside desk, and he pulled out a massive piece of paper that was located inside the drawer. He spread it out, and then snapped his fingers. Instantly, small pockets of levitation magic were holding it up in the air in front of him.

"…backup plans are hard to manage, especially when there's more than one." Akai muttered to himself, his mind beginning to turn as his thoughts started moving at breakneck pace. Formulas, ideas and scenarios began to run through his mind at a speed only The Flash could hope to compete with.

"Besides, it's hard to manage this many flags. Especially when you're one of the first conquest targets, Aoi."

* * *

Histoire sighed to herself as she floated on the terrace of the Basilicom. Sipping a cup of tea, she let a small glance at the other CPUs who were sitting nearby.

Blanc and Noire looked the most restless, unable to relax as they were. They hadn't touched their cups of tea, like they were poisoned and they knew it.

"…Histoire, do you have any idea what he plans to do?" Blanc asked, her gaze uneasy. "I don't like the fact that we know about this whole thing, but Akai just goes and tells us not to get involved anymore."

"Exactly." Noire agreed with what looked like an upset face, crossing her arms. "He's just went and left us in the dark besides knowing that we're the CPUs here. This concerns us, too. What on earth is he thinking?"

"Beats me…" Histoire replied, looking away. She didn't know what was going on either, so it wasn't like she could answer the question.

"Man, I wish he could tell us." Neptune groaned like a tantalized girl whose toy had been placed in a spot she couldn't reach but could see clearly. "I wanna help too~"

"Well, it's out of our hands right now." Vert interjected, the only one who seemed calm and collected. She took a sip from the cup of tea in her hands and placed it onto her lap. "We can't make any rash moves, and anything we do may interfere with whatever Akai's thought of."

Blanc immediately stood up and turned in the direction of the inside of the Basilicom. "…we need to know what he plans to do."

"Now, now." Histoire hushed, moving to hover in front of Blanc's face. "I'm sure that he'd approach us if our help is required. Akai's smart, so he'll have things under control."

Neptune stared at Histoire as if she'd grown a second head and started to do an impression of Elvis Presley doing an impression of Michael Jackson getting mocked by Eminem. "…you just left the fate of an entire dimension up to the plans of a teenage boy we only met a few weeks ago."

"Were you always that kind of person, Histoire?" Noire asked, her curiosity now becoming aroused as well. "Now that Neptune mentions it, you'd normally get as involved as possible in stuff as important as this."

Histoire shot Noire a bewildered glance. "What do you mean? Akai's just really reliable and intelligent. I know that I can leave things to him."

Everyone stared at her as if she'd momentarily transformed into a Dolphin and started flying through the sky like a falcon. Histoire just stared back, completely baffled at the stares she was receiving. "What?"

"…Histoire's never found anyone reliable enough before." Vert replied, a teasing smile beginning to pull the corners of her lips upward. "Could it be? Perhaps you have taken a liking to him? Or perhaps…have you fallen already?"

Histoire just shook her head, trying to ignore her heart telling her otherwise as she tried speak. "I find him to be the most reliable person I've ever met. He gets work done, he knows how to treat people well while still acting like a Neptune-class idiot every now and then."

"Hey!" Neptune called out, stomping her foot once. "I take offense to that! Why am I a kind of classification?!"

Vert just ignored Neptune, continuing to speak with her widening teasing grin. "Is this ever since you met him? Or is this how you feel after he took you out on that date last night?"

Histoire's emotions nearly burst at those words, and she could almost no longer keep her feelings under her skin. Her face turned red like a Ferrari sports car, and she felt her grip on her own palm tightening. It was all she could do to maintain her calm tone. "That's not it at all, Vert. That has nothing to do with how I-"

"I think it's important to know you feel about him." The CPU of Leanbox shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are the all-important Histoire, the Oracle of Planeptune and the holder of the Tome of Gamindustri, no?"

Vert narrowed her eyebrows, directing her gaze at the fairy-like woman across from her. "Your judgment is extremely important to Planeptune as a whole. If it were to be swayed by your feelings-"

"I know that, so don't tell me!"

Histoire yelled, her voice suddenly so fragile and emotional that the other four girls present fell silent. Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the outburst.

"…I'm sorry." Histoire, realizing her mistake, quickly bowed in apology and turned towards the entrance of the Basilicom. "I should really-"

"Would you do me a favor and not bully her too much?"

Histoire widened her eyes as she saw Akai standing in the doorway to the terrace, her exit.

"Akai." Histoire breathed, as if she were unable to believe the fact that he was actually there.

He just gave her a gentle smile and patted her on the top of her head before walking forward, eyeing Vert while his smile grew less gentle and more amused. "I do enjoy a good laugh, but don't press her too much."

"Fine, I suppose I went a little too far." Vert sighed and nodded, and she bowed slightly in apology. "I apologize, Histoire."

"…it's fine." Histoire replied, her own smile one of forgiveness.

"What's with all the different kind of smiles?" Neptune commented, staring at everyone one by one. "Is it St. Patrick's Day?"

Ignoring the nonsensical comment, the other three CPUs turned their eyes onto Akai.

"Let me be clear." Blanc said, standing up and eyeing the boy. "What's your plan? Tell us."

Akai looked at her "…alright. I'll tell ya. Take a seat."

Suddenly, a burst of light alerted everyone to look in Histoire's direction. The Oracle herself was standing in shock, for Histoire II's face was on a hovering display that had appeared in front of her without warning.

"Akai! We have a problem!" Histoire II looked like she was on the verge of having a panic attack. Her eyes glinted with crazed concern, and she looked almost jittery. "The interdimensional transporter has just been used!"

"What?" Akai walked forward, towards the display with doubtful eyes. "Who the hell-"

"Nice to meet you, chu~"

Akai turned around to see a black rodent floating just next to the terrace with his arms and paws crossed. Around his small body, small armor pieces of sparkling red energy hovered. Flowing from his back was a dark purple mantle, as if he were some sort of king or knight.

"Pirachu." Akai breathed in disbelief right before he transformed, white energy bathing him in powerful energy. He drew his spear with one hand, and created a small array of miniature magic rockets that circles his other hand. He narrowed his eyes at the CFW, and his smile curled into a battle-ready grin. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Not a fight, chu~" Pirachu replied as he floated over to the terrace, ignoring Akai's weapons and settling down onto the ground next to the young man. "I wanted to speak to you personally."

"…" Akai just stared at Pirachu, unsure of what to do. He lowered the spear in his hand after a few breathless moments, and he let the magic missiles revolving around his other hand dissipate into the air. "I'm waiting for you to just attempt to blow me up the instant you get the chance."

"Calm down, chu~" He replied, turning to stare into Akai's eyes. The small mammal's eyes were mixed with an array of emotions, the kind that made Akai disengage his CPU form. "I came to speak with you. I do not wish to fight you."

"So you say," Blanc stepped forward, her hand on her own hammer. "But how can we afford to trust someone who let war destroy the lives of millions of people?"

"…I call on good faith, chu~" Pirachu replied, his voice actually reflecting guilt. "I am aware of what I've done. So…hear me out, chu~"

"…" Akai sighed and sagged his shoulders before walking towards the exit of the terrace. "My room, right? Follow me."

* * *

"So that's your plan, huh?" Pirachu muttered to himself, taking a sip of tea from a cup. "Not bad, chu~"

"…I realize this is a little late, but remind me again why one of our biggest enemies is sitting in our room, drinking a cup of tea." Aoi muttered, eyeing the black skinned mouse out of the corner of her eye with both suspicion and doubt.

Everyone had moved to Akai's living room, sitting together almost huddled up. Vert and Noire sat next to one another on one couch, with Neptune and Aoi sitting cross-legged on the floor near them. Akai sat next to Pirachu alongside Blanc. Histoire floated above the ground in the midst of it all, as usual.

"…what do you intend to accomplish by approaching us here?" Akai asked skeptically, his fingers moving restlessly as if itching for a fight whilst he glared at the rodent. "Right now, you're a target."

"Don't be so cold, chu~" Pirachu replied, finishing his cup of tea and placing it onto the table next to him. "I came here in the spirit of teamwork. Don't you girls believe in that stuff more than a goddamn-"

"Get to the point." Blanc replied coldly, her glare more intimidating than a hungry tiger whose food was being waved in front of their nose. "Why are you here?"

"I want Linda dead, chu~"

Pirachu's words did not surprise Akai and Aoi, but everyone else felt a small wave of shcok run through their systems before they regained their composure.

"…the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say." Vert began, her expression doubtful. "We may have a common goal…but that doesn't mean that we can trust you."

"And it would be smart not to do that, chu~" Pirachu snickered. "I don't know how my counterpart over here is, but I guarantee you I'm smarter than him."

He raised a paw up, his face growing serious. "I want Linda dead. You already understand what's going on over there, chu~ I managed to slip her a decoy of mine, and that's what she's fighting right now. She has no idea I'm here, chu~"

"And so you thought you could win us over to your side and get rid of her." Histoire replied, crossing her arms.

"Correct, chu~" He turned his eyes over to Akai, shooting him a mischievous smile. "How about it, chu~? With my powers and yours, we can take her out easy."

"…what do you know about my powers?" Akai replied, clenching his fists softly and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Simple." The small rat just laughed a bit, and three small spheres of crackling energy appeared over his paw. They orbited one another slowly, looking ready to explode. "I helped create the powers that are still dormant in your body, chu~"

"Dormant powers?" Akai asked, his curiosity pushing past his impassiveness. "What are you talking about?"

"Powers that you don't seem to have activated yet, chu~" Pirachu laughed sinisterly, his eyes glinting. "Then how about this? I teach you how to use the powers I helped give you, and you help me defeat Linda, chu~?"

"…like he needs to get any stronger." Aoi replied. "He can copy the powers of whoever he kisses, for some reason. What else-?"

"That weapon summoning ability of his is so much more, chu~" Pirachu replied, crossing his paws. "I worked on his project myself. His powers-"

"Let me tell you something." Akai cut him off. "And it's probably really important. Ever since I got here, I've been having some dreams. Really strange ones, even by interdimensional standards."

"…do tell." Histoire urged him onward.

"…I've been having visions. Dreams where…it's a long story, this one." Akai sighed, leaning forward and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose as if to relax himself. He looked up at the girls, and then at Pirachu. "Get comfy."


	25. Chapter 24: Hero and Heroines

**Chapter 24: Hero and Heroines**

"So, what's the plan?"

Histoire II narrowed her eyes, looking up to meet stares with Kei II who sat across the table with her arms crossed across her chest. The silver-haired Insurgent looked doubtful and worried, and the vibe she gave off were the same.

It had already been two days since Akai and Histoire II had made contact, and there had been no responses or calls from Hyperdimension since.

"…the primary goal is to inflict as much damage on the CFWs as we can inflict." Histoire II replied, sighing. "Though we lack a lot of resources to do so."

"True." Chika II agreed, irritated, while she crossed one leg over another and leaned back in her chair. She threw her head backwards, her face aimed to the ceiling. "We're stooped to keeping every single soldier alive for as long as possible. Supplies won't last long with that horrid nonsense raging up there, and we can't go into what's left of broad daylight without getting mashed into little bits."

"It's gotten a little safer, but safety cannot be guaranteed at any given time." Kei II said, glancing at the ceiling and in the direction of the surface above their base and city. She could hear the ever faint sounds of explosions and the armies that still warred amongst one another smashing each other into submission and death before dissipating in an explosion of pixels.

"…" Histoire II turned her eyes to Chika II. "How is the special unit I delegated you to form?"

Chika II just shot back a proud smirk. "Why don't you see for yourself?" She then gestured to the door. "Come in!"

The steel door slid open, and a single girl walked into the room.

She was a fair-skinned girl with pitch-black hair that looked like it had been woven out of exquisite shadow, and it fell to her shoulders in a wavy stream that looked very much like the curls of a fairy tale. Her eyes were a deep and joyous forest green. Clad in a turquoise tank top and black cargo pants underneath a few pieces of tactical body armor, she looked like a model for army-style clothes.

"…did we ever have someone like this in the army?" Histoire II asked, having been caught completely off guard.

"Nice to finally meet ya, Insurgents!" The girl replied energetically, pumping her fists as she greeted them. "Leader of the Special Infiltration Division under Insurgent Chika, reporting for duty!"

"Her name is Veeta Sunny." Chika II replied, smiling. "She's showed exceptional skill during the recruitment and training program we held before. She clearly outranked the rest of the recruits and trainees."

"Very good." Histoire II replied, nodding. She turned her attention to Kei II. "How is it for you, Kei? Any problems?"

The former Lastation Oracle did not say anything, keeping her eyes closed. Instead, the sound of the door opening turned everyone's attention to the doorway.

Another person walked in.

Her skin was so white she was almost like a ghost, such was her complexion. With mahogany colored hair that stopped just above the jawline that curled somewhat at the ends paired up with piercing aqua-colored eyes, she looked almost like a ghost or a vampire. She wore a complete tactical grey ballistic vest and similarly protected leggings and boots that made a heavy noise by clanging against the metal tiles of the floor whenever she took a step. Despite the large load, however, she did not appear encumbered or uncomfortable.

"Leader of the Demolition and Artillery Division as designated by Insurgent Kei, Dihez Mittsu, reporting for duty." The girl said impassively, her voice almost lifeless and joyless in comparison to everyone else in the room.

"…right…" Chika II did not bother commenting, instead turning to Histoire II. "Well? How is it on your end? Didn't you end up doing Mina's share of the work as well since she wasn't here? Won't that prove to be some sort of obstacle for your progress?"

"Oh, well, I have both girls ready and on standby." Histoire II replied, turning to the door. "You two can come out now."

And on cue, two girls alongside each other walked into the room simultaneously.

One of the girls had a very normal complexion, coupled with a single ponytail of blonde hair with bangs framing the side of her face that stopped at her earlobes. Her eyes were a light fuchsia, like the color of a Venomoth's wings. She had a pair of dark blue-framed glasses on her face, and wore a standard olive green and pink combat vest over leggings and light boots. On her hands, she had fingerless gloves that were the same color as her vest: green with pink knuckles.

The other girl next to her had fair skin, and had very wild violet and golden hair that stuck up in most every direction. The streaks of color only served to make it look like a mess. Her eyes were a prominent, bold scarlet. She wore a long magenta robe that barely skirted the floor under a yellow and black chest plate that looked much like a knight's.

"L-Leader of the Close Quarters Combat Specialization Division, Jeanne Spartacus, reporting in!" The blonde said, clearly nervous and almost stuttering while she talked. She bowed too deeply, like an ironing board coming out of the wall.

"Call sign: Genesis. Name: Genevieve. Leader of the Ranged Combat Specialization, Magic Combat and Instruction Division and the Research and Development Division." The girl with the irregular hair colors said, her tone steady and serious, and she took a very slight bow of respect and courtesy.

"You were in charge of the CQC Division, weren't you?" Chika II asked, glancing at Histoire II. "Why does your personality contrast so much with your subordinate? And why does Mina's recruit look so…great?"

"I don't know what you think you know about her work, but Mina does an outstanding job." Histoire II replied, giving Chika II a scolding look. "She found and trained Genesis well before I supervised her in Mina's stead. And it's no joke to be appointed three divisions to lead."

"To be blunt, it's because the rest of them will be out on the battlefield much more often." Kei II replied, crossing her arms. "We needed someone supervising the R&amp;D Division, someone who wouldn't be vital to the front lines. And out of everything considered, the Ranged Combat Division and Magic Combat will not be as irreplaceable as the Close Quarters Combat Division in the middle of a live battlefield."

Histoire II just sighed and turned to Genesis. "I apologize for their bluntness, but I'm afraid that's how they are. Please bear with it."

"It's alright." She replied, offering her a patient smile. "I can deal with this much."

"I see the new leaders of our Divisions have been decided and readied." Chika II grinned as if anticipating a hunt. "So, what's our next move?"

"For now, we need to buy Akai time for his plan." Histoire II replied, ascending and floating for the door. "Whatever it is. So, we're going to go outside and pick off the rest of the clones. I've received a report about a large number of the clones warring approximately two miles from the fifth entrance above ground. "

"Really?" Veeta asked, sounding bored as she cracked her knuckles. "Is that all we're gonna do? I thought getting appointed leader would make things a little bit different. Not that I'm complaining about getting to bust some faces in."

"We still need to keep the people of Gekko safe." Jeanne replied, readjusting her glasses. "That is our foremost, most primary directive as the Quasar Quartet!"

"I do not approve of that name." Genesis replied, stepping forward and shooting an accusing glance at the blonde. "We aren't a superhero squad. We are a tactical unit with the express unit for defeating the CFWs and restoring peace to Gigadimension as we know it."

Dihez did nothing but walk past the three, even moving past Histoire and towards the exit. "…I will be going ahead. If you wish to help me, please accompany me."

"By the way, Histoire." Genesis turned to the floating Insurgent with a curious expression. "You said there would be a fifth member of the team. But I haven't seen any details regarding this fifth member at all."

"I'll give you the details another time." Histoire II replied, floating forward. "But for now, we're going to go and eliminate the clones that are threatening the entrance."

"Alright. So, this is our squad? The four leaders of the four divisions?" Genesis asked, gesturing to the other leaders in the room.

"Yes, this will be it." Kei II said, standing up. "The four of you were selected because you are the strongest recruits we have ever encountered. With skill, intelligence and strength, you four are the best that Gekko can offer as of now. And you will be the ones to stop Linda and Pirachu from their terrible war, and to topple Magic, Judge and Trick from their thrones and defeat them so that peace can be restored to Gamindustri."

"This will be a good opportunity to see the rest of you in action and establishing your teamwork with one another." Chika II stood and quickly started for the door. "Come. This will be the first time you four will be working with one another in a battle, so we will assess your ability to work as a team right from the get-go."

The remaining three girls nodded in agreement.

* * *

"So this is the battlefield now?" Veeta said as she looked at the scene in front of her.

The entire group had moved to the surface through a complex network of tunnels that twisted and turned as a defense for those monsters that would make it into the entrances somehow. With traps and guards laid throughout the entire labyrinth, it was safe in nearly every aspect.

And in front of her, it was chaos incarnate.

Large, blocky monsters and robotic suits that glowed green and shone with purple were going at it with each other with blasts of magic that sent explosions across the horizon and powerful strikes to each other's bodies that sent parts flying and pixels soaring through the tension, battle-filled air.

"The report has indicated that these enemies are genetic clones of two of the Seven Sages from Ultradimension." Histoire II muttered, her eyes scanning the carnage with reluctance and disgust. "They've been trained by Judge and strengthened by Trick. No need to go easy on them, girls."

"Got it." Veeta hollered, cracking her knuckles eagerly and bouncing on her heels. "By the way, have you seen Dihez? Our new teammate went ahead, after all."

"Don't you see her over there?" Kei II pointed at an especially dense collection of enemies that were brawling with each other. She emphasized the center of the huddled enemies.

"I think… I can see…something…?" Veeta squinted, trying to zoom in on the plentiful bunch of enemies. But they couldn't see their teammate anywhere. However, they could see the bodies of clones being sent flying up into the air before dematerializing into pixels.

"Not much from here." Genesis said, and she began sprinting. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Got it!" Jeanne acknowledged, and she followed behind Genesis quickly.

"Wait for me!" Veeta called back, beginning to run behind them, although her late start made her fall back quite far as she ran.

As the three girls ditched the Insurgents and neared the huddle, they spotted their fourth teammate in the middle of the enemies.

Dihez spun on her heel, throwing dozens of C4 packs into the air around her and onto her surrounding enemies. Pulling out her detonator in a flash, she pressed the button and created a swath of fire and smoke that annihilated everything in a circle around her. Readjusting her stance and bracing her legs, she pulled out a massive copper-colored war hammer twice as large as herself and swing it in a massive arc that took out two CopyPaste clones in a single strike and sent them flying high upwards before dissipating into pixels.

"She's pretty good." Jeanne complimented the brunette under her breath as the girls regrouped around Dihez.

"Don't go ahead of yourself!" Veeta grinned, grabbing a collection of throwing knives from her pants and wielding them in between her fingers. She quickly threw them all at once, nailing more than seven targets in between the eyes. Pressing her back to Dihez's, she pulled out a pair of crossbows and shot another five enemies through their chests. The arrows exploded right after, sending a good portion of the army flying backwards and into one another.

"…suggestion taken into consideration." Dihez replied before raising her hammer up. Immediately, the flat side of the weapon opened to reveal a massive chamber full of missiles. She pressed a button, and the missiles flew out and created a path of destruction through the army.

"Good job!" Jeanne affirmed as she raced past the two girls and towards a single CopyPaste, and then clenched her fist before landing a powerful blow with her hand that smashed through his body like a bullet through paper. She pulled her hand out and then landed a strong kick that sent the body flying into the army, creating an effect like a single marble getting launched at a stream of dominoes. Some dodged out of the way of the impending CopyPaste, but even more were struck and sent flying.

Jeanne then clicked a device on her wrist, and a suit of mechanical gauntlets appeared and interlocked around her hands.

"Goodness, you're too inefficient."

The three glanced at Genesis, who gave them a slightly disapproving stare before turning her back to them and faced the wave of oncoming enemies boldly.

"We need to eliminate them all quickly." She said, and she tossed two small pieces of metal onto the ground behind her. Instantly, two massive turrets came out of the ground and began firing lasers at a breakneck pace. They incinerated enemies faster than trees ignite while she pulled out another piece of metal and clicked on it. A minigun formed out of it, and she immediately began firing it. It mowed down another few dozen in the span of three seconds, leaving her comrades almost breathless.

"…guess it's good she's got R&amp;D and Ranged Combat down, huh?" Veeta muttered. "Kind of disappointing that we won't be doing much anymore, though."

"The battle is pretty much over." Jeanne replied, lowering her fists. "See?"

Magic circles suddenly lit up underneath the entire army, all intersected with one another like Venn Diagrams with pentagrams glowing in the center. And at the snap of Genevieve's finger, they all created another explosion so large it almost blocked out the sky with its light.

And just like that, everything else had gone.

Several craters were left in the ground as big as fifteen meter meteors, with trails of dark gray smoke trailing upwards into the sky. Metallic shards of destroyed missiles were strewn across the battlefield like dead bodies.

"…all hostiles have been eliminated." Dihez reported robotically as if she were Siri given human form, but somehow even more toneless. She relaxed, standing back and resuming a normal standing position. "Damage to the surrounding area is acceptable, though it could have been avoided without the magic spells used in the battle."

"It was the most time-efficient method to defeat the army of clones created by the CFWs." Genesis replied, withdrawing her minigun. "I have no qualms about that."

"Fine, but I didn't get to have fun!" Veeta complained, pointing her finger accusingly at Genesis. "I wanted to pound some evil monsters!"

"Well, I'm sorry." Genesis replied, sighing. "I'll leave some for you next time, so let's just end this here."

"Fine." Veeta just pouted, but agreed reluctantly and placed her "That'd better be a promise, Genny."

"Nicknames, already?" Jeanne giggled and stepped forward, poking Veeta on the cheek. "You're getting real comfortable already, aren't you?"

"Says the girl poking other people's cheeks." Genesis replied, walking forward with a small smile on her face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Familiarizing with each other through the use of overly friendly physical contact." Dihez muttered as she walked forward, and she suddenly threw her arms around Genesis and nuzzled Genesis' neck with the top of her head. "In a manner such as this, one can usually hope to increase the level of affection one may hold for another."

"Don't go showing me an example." Genvieve muttered, pushing Dihez away. "In the meantime, let's just report back and get back home."

"Affirmative." Dihez replied, and the other two nodded before they all turned to walk back in the direction where they had last left Histoire II, Kei II and Chika II.

"Good work, though a little messy." Histoire II congratulated, giving them a relieved smile. "I'm expecting things like this from now on."

* * *

"Like this?"

Akai asked, frowning as he thrust out his hand and concentrated on the target in front of him. Which so happened to be a holographic replica of Linda from when she had dueled with him in town a few days ago.

"…I'm not seeing anything, chu~" Pirachu replied, sighing. "I thought you'd get it faster than this, since your ability to learn is already high."

"Sorry." Akai replied, lowering his hand. "My mind's been occupied for the past two days."

Pirachu just gave him a slightly disappointed look. "It's already been two days since we made our agreement, but you haven't quite made progress."

Off to the side, some of the girls were watching him.

"What are they doing?" Vert asked, tilting her head as she peered at Akai and Pirachu.

"Some sort of training." Noire replied, trying to think as she stared at them. "Remember that Pirachu said two days ago that he was going to teach Akai how to use the powers that he gave him? Well, that seems to be what they're doing."

"But they don't seem to be making progress, right?" Nepgear noted, looking at Akai's strained expression worriedly. "He's been at this for a while now. What if he forces out something that shouldn't be forced out? Like…what if he hurts himself?"

"He's smart enough to stop before that happens." Noire replied, still keeping her gaze locked on the two of them.

"…hey, Pirachu." Akai asked, lowering his arm and letting down a sigh. "Explain to me again what I'm trying to do here."

Pirachu sighed. "Look, I ended up enhancing your physical abilities to the brim, chu~ But apart from that, you've also got that ability of yours that can summon weapons, right?"

"Yeah." Akai nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself.

…_Enfive must have given me the copying ability at the same time Pirachu gave me whatever other abilities I have so that no one would suspect anything. _

"That weapon summoning thing is only half of your true power, chu~" Pirachu continued, holding up his own paw. "Histoire seems to have given you an explanation as to how it works, and it's not wrong. Yes, it has its roots in the inventory system, chu~ But I designed the software myself, so I know that you can draw out more of it."

"Then what is it that I can do?" Akai asked, crossing his arms. "You still haven't explained to me what I am supposed to be able to do."

Pirachu let out the biggest sigh yet, and then he floated down to the ground. "I suppose there's another way to show you, though I'd rather we didn't do it this way. Come with me, chu~"

Pirachu took him to the inner parts of the Basilicom, where the Sharicite resided. As they entered the high-security room under the eyes of the staff and the security cameras, Akai felt his breath taken away when he saw the Sharicite.

It looked exactly as it did from when he'd played the games.

A glowing crystal in the shape of a **Power **button, it revolved slowly in the air while emitting bright iridescent light.

"…go over to it, chu~" Pirachu said, taking a step back. "I can't go with you. You already know why."

"Yeah, yeah." Akai replied, walking forward and over to the glowing crystal.

As the shards of crystallized Share energy hovered in front of him, Akai felt stronger. He felt…like the light washing all over him was right. Like warm sunlight, but it filled him with strength. He could feel the small remnants of drowsiness wash away from his eyes and his fists clench with energy.

"_Akai." _

"_Enfive?" _Suddenly, Akai heard the woman's voice echo in his ears. He turned around, but no one else save for the CFW was in the room.

"_You have interesting company." _She said, her tone cautious.

"_We have a ceasefire. Temporary, of course." _Akai said, his thoughts projected outward as words. _"Hang on, what are you doing here? How are you-?"_

"_I'm the CPU of Gamindustri Prime, Akai." _She replied. _"I am where Shares and Sharicite originated. I am connected to every single one across every different Gamindustri." _

"_That means you have infinite power. There are an infinite number of worlds and possibilities, so that means you have infinite power, right?"_

"_Let's leave that for later. What are you about to do, Akai? I thought you'd already decided to-"_

"_Enfive, it's always important to have more than one plan. And right now, I'm trying to affirm Plan A. What you want me to do is Plan B." _

"…_very well. I know you're serious, so I won't stop you. But remember, doing this is not going to help you with your so-called Plan B." _

"_If I can defeat Linda, Magic, Trick and Judge with Plan A, I won't need Plan B." _

"…_fine. Go ahead and do it, then." _

Akai stretched his hand out towards the Sharicite and touched it with his finger. The substance was surprisingly warm, as if it were alive. Akai felt a strange "rightness" to the touch, as if the feeling were something he was meant to touch.

It felt good. Great, even.

And then a flash of light blinded him for a moment just before a surge of power raced into his body.

Akai, stunned and surprised, staggered backward and attempted to regain his composure. But before he could think about it, the light was gone and he had gone back to normal.

"…that won't do it, chu~" Pirachu replied, opening a magic portal with a wave of his paw. "Come on, we're going to do that with the rest of the Sharicite in this dimension. That should be enough to activate your dormant powers, chu~"

"Dormant powers?" Akai replied, turning to Pirachu. "Are you saying-?!"

"Yes, Akai. My objective was to bestow upon a human the power to establish a connection with the Sharicie through a combination of magic and technology. You are, in other words, a pseudo-CPU, chu~" Pirachu replied, grinning.

"…well, I figured something of the sort." Akai just let out a sigh and walked back to the Sharicite in the room.

"_Enfive, are you there?"_

"_Don't treat me like a girlfriend on a long-distance relationship, Akai." _Her voice replied to Akai mockingly.

"…_am I a CPU?"_

"_Took you long enough to figure that out. But the kind of CPU I turned you into is a little different. You have to establish a connection with already existing Sharicite in order to use the power of Faith and transform." _

"_I'm really a CPU, huh? Why? Why would you-?"_

"_It's always been like this from the very beginning, Akai. From my fight with my sister. It's been Faith against Fear. Only the power of Faith can war against the power of Fear that my sister and her followers use. And to fight against an overwhelming amount of fear…an equal amount of faith must be brought into the world."_

"_You didn't even answer my question. __What are you-?"_

"_Akai, you do not need to conquer the other CPUs in order to become strong. If you do not want to make them fall in love with you, then that's fine. That's not necessary. But Akai, you always had faith in Gamindustri." _

"_What?" _

"_You were the only one from Earth that truly believed that somewhere, somehow, we existed. We weren't just one of your world's silly video games. You wholeheartedly believed in the power and the existence of the CPUs. That is why I chose you, Akai. That faith made you the only one who could take on my powers. It made you the only one that could become a CPU." _

"_Because I believed…?"_

"_Akai…I brought you into Gamindustri because my sister will return very soon if no one will stand to stop the CFWs from bringing her back. And if she comes back, she will bring ruin to the universe with the power of Fear. She will strike it into everyone's hearts, feed on it, and then destroy them from the inside out." _

"…_is that how it works?" _

"_In order to defeat Fear, you need Faith. That's how things have always been, and that's how it will be. You need to bring the Faith back to Gigadimension and defeat Magic, Trick, Judge and Linda." _

"…_got it. I'll do just that. But before that…"_

"_One cannot bring the power of Faith into a world if he himself does not have Faith. In order to restore the Faith of Gamindustri, you must become a Messiah of Faith." _

"_In other words… a CPU." _

"_Yes, Akai." _

Akai smiled to himself and turned around, walking towards the open portal. He then looked to Pirachu, who was still hovering next to the magic door.

"Hey, Pirachu. I have a question."

"Yes, chu~?"

"What's your plan after I defeat Linda?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure, chu~"

"I don't really want to fight you after what you've tried to do for me. Think you can do me a favor and just surrender so that I won't have to kill you?"

"…I don't think I wanna go down that way, chu~"

"So…after I beat Linda, Magic, Trick and Judge, you'd better find a great place to hide. Otherwise, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"You sound confident, boy. Something happened to your brain, chu~?"

"Nah. But our Plan A is now Plan C. I've got a new Plan A, and this one's gonna send you crying to whatever rat momma you've got."

"Sounds interesting, chu~ Come on, this portal goes to Lastation. After this, we'll go to Lowee and Leanbox."

Akai nodded, clenching his fists and walking forward, letting himself walk into the portal with his enemy.

* * *

**One Hour Later…**

"Where are Akai and Pirachu?" Aoi asked, walking outside and onto the balcony.

Mina II, Histoire, Aoi, IF, Compa and the CPUs had assembled and were sitting around a single huddle eating an assortment of snacks and drinking an assortment of drinks.

"Ever since they left, they haven't come back." Histoire said restlessly, glancing in the direction of the room. "An hour is a little long for a break…"

"Well, they were at it for a few days, so he deserves quite a decent rest." Vert replied, lowering her cup of tea. "Besides his matter, I have something to ask."

She eyes Blanc, and then Noire, and finally focused on Neptune. "…don't you three feel something…strange?"

"Mm." Blanc said, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I felt it earlier, some minutes ago."

"Yeah." Noire agreed as well. "I can't really put a finger on it. But there's a strange feeling I'm getting. Something I can't really explain."

"It's like that feeling I got more than 10 chapters back." Neptune said, devouring a plateful of croissants in a near-instant. "Y'know?"

Mina II just remained silent, a glass of iced tea to her lips.

"…do you think Akai's plan will go smoothly?" Blanc asked suddenly, making everyone turn to her. The mood turned serious. Blanc wet her throat with another sip of iced tea, and then placed the glass noisily down onto the table before continuing. "I mean, it's not that bad, but…"

"…it's one of our only options." Vert replied, her hands meeting one another in front of her chin. "Unless you would like to go with his alternative and allow him to copy your powers."

Blanc's face turned a little red at the very prospect, but she shook her head vigorously and chased away the strange thoughts. "…well…"

"I'm not against it." Noire replied, trying her best to keep the situation as calm as possible, and that she could take both herself and everyone else seriously. "He doesn't seem like a bad person, even going so far as to reject the idea because he doesn't want us to experience something like first love for the sake of the citizens we have to protect."

"But he's naïve in that aspect alone." Vert replied, crossing her arms. "Copying all of our powers is the most time-healthy option we have. Any other method he has might take too long."

Vert turned to IF, who was sitting next to her without saying a word but listening intently to the conversation. "What do you think, IF? As someone who has already fallen in love with him, what are your thoughts?"

"…he's kind, gentle, and considerate as well everything a girl could ask for." IF replied, her blush and her smile making everyone else's eyes widen, except for Mina II who just looked on with her own small smile. "He's smart, capable, and he's-"

"Got it, got it." Neptune interrupted, lowering her head until her chin hit the table. "You're madly in love with a boy. Don't sell him to us, ya lovestruck teen."

IF just sighed and leaned back in her chair. "But it's as you say. He's too considerate. I told him I don't really have a problem with him kissing other girls if it's for something like this, but he doesn't seem to have made up his mind about anything yet."

"…so he's a little indecisive? Or is he just taking a while to think?" Noire muttered to herself, leaning back in her chair. "At any rate, his current plan is more than a little iffy. Shouldn't he be working on a plan B?"

"That's actually what I'm focused on, Noire." Vert replied, narrowing her eyes. "To me, Akai doesn't seem stupid at all. And now that he's gotten quote unquote serious about this whole matter, I figure he'll be pulling out all the stops he can think of."

"What do you mean by that?" Mina II asked.

"I'm sure he has more than one plan." Vert answered back. "He's very smart. So, I'm sure that he's thought this through. What I'm concerned about is if he's telling us the truth."

"You think he's lying to us?" IF knit her eyebrows.

"No." Vert retorted, her tone getting harder. "But I don't think he's told us everything. He's an otaku, right? So I think that he's played enough dating sims and watched enough anime to know exactly how to conquer each and every one of us if he decided to."

"…are you saying that he's going to try making us fall in love with him anyway?" Blanc asked, shifting as if she were uncomfortable.

"It's a possibility." Vert just nodded, shooting an uneasy glance in the direction of Akai's room. "If he's that smart, he knows that he needs to ensure success from every direction possible."

Silence enveloped the table, leaving the present women in silence.

Suddenly, the door to the terrace opened with a sound, and everyone's head turned.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." Akai chuckled apologetically as he walked over to the table. Pirachu hovered behind him, clearly trying to look imposing but failing miserably thanks to his somewhat cutesy rodent look.

"What took you so long?" Vert asked, suspicion nagging at the back of her mind, and it was clear in her voice. "What were you doing?"

"Figuring it out." Akai grinned and knocked his fists together.

Instantly, a pillar of light ascended into the sky as it exploded around Akai and blocked him from view. Everyone stood up in shock and shielded their eyes, taking a step back as they were buffeted by the wind that had begun to pick up around them.

"What's going on?!" Neptune asked, her voice getting drowned out by the wind that whistled in the ears. It was getting gradually louder and louder, becoming a high-pitched whine.

"…what's this sensation…?!" Noire screamed in confusion. "It's the same one I had before, but much stronger!"

"I have no idea!" Histoire shouted back, but her voice was so muffled it almost went by unheard.

Slowly, the wind and the light began to die down. The light dimmed until it was still bright but not blinding, and the wind had slowed down. It still tousled the hair, but it was more like a gentle whirlwind than a powerful typhoon.

And in the center of the light, Akai stood. But he was wearing a completely black plug-suit from fingers to toes that was very Tron-esque. Lines of crimson light raced across his body like stripes of brightly glowing blood. His hair had changed color as well, going from midnight black to a blend of dark orange and bright scarlet.

On his arms, his chest and his legs, shiny dark gray armor with the same pulsing red lines was equipped.

"Wha?!" Mina II's eyes widened in surprise as if she had witnessed the end of the world and its resurrection in an instant. "How did-?!"

The sound of her voice was blocked out by the sound of thunder booming from the sky. A flash of bright light followed the sight of lightning suddenly forking down and towards everyone.

And it blazed a trail of plasma through the air before landing into Pirachu's open palm-paw.

"Now, before we go over to Gigadimension, I've got business to take care of." Akai said, his smile disappearing and his eyes glowing brightly with new energy, as he turned around to face Pirachu. In his hands, a pair of katanas blinked into existence. "Just as we agreed, Pirachu?"

"Go ahead, chu~" The rat sneered, his paws crackling with light purple energy that charged the air with ozone and filled it with the smell of fire and the aura of battle. "Take me out first, if you can."


	26. WARNING

_Dear readers,_

_Today, I looked at this story and decided to just scrap it. Thing is, I never really knew where I wanted to take it, and it's just getting messier and messier. I wish to improve my writing skills, and this was my first attempt at a long story that ended up blowing up in my face._

_As such, I've decided to stop writing this for now. I may create a remake in the future, if you guys really want it to come out. And if you do, I'll promise to make that one much better than this. _

_Sorry, guys._

_Thank you for reading up until this far. I promise to make the next ones better._

_Lord Purple Heart_


	27. WARNING NULLIFIED

Dear readers,

Sorry, guys. To be honest, this story isn't my best. I could've made it much better than it is. I know that. There are a lot of things I could have done. And today, I was feeling so pressured and out of it that I thought I could just scrap the story now.

I'm sorry for that.

I have an intense headache, and I have pressure from other stories looming over my head. But you know...it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth to end it here.

And maybe, when I've gotten better at writing, I'll redo this whole thing. I wasn't lying about the possibility of a remake.

But...I don't want it end where it is now, even if a lot of it is stupid. I know where the flaws are. Some I can fix, and some I just have to live with.

Guys, I'll be continuing the story. Sorry for scaring you in a selfish moment of depression and indecision. Expect an ending to this fanfiction.


	28. Chapter 25: Corrupted CPU

_Again, guys, sorry for what happened before. Forgive me for that, and please bear with me if I continue to do that. I'll try my best to keep going, so do me a favor and post as many reviews as you can!_

* * *

**Chapter 25: Corrupted CPU**

"Kh!"

Pirachu quickly flew to the side, evading a wave of red energy that had spawned from Akai's blades. The attack soared through the air and smashed into the side of the Basilicom, cutting through the wall like it was paper and smashing into the ground with the sound of a meteor demolishing the earth. The rat responded in kind with a ball of lightning that flew at dizzying speed, only to watch it get smashed into nonexistence by his opponent's blade.

"Try and do better!" Akai taunted before suddenly dashing through the air, flying exactly as a CPU should, and delivering a solid kick that sent Pirachu spiraling meters away before the rodent could recover.

"Same to you, chu~!" Pirachu quickly waved his paw, and a million spheres of energy suddenly materialized around Akai. He grinned and brought down his arm, and the balls of power quickly followed suit and condensed onto Akai all at once.

Akai just gritted his teeth and summoned forth a spear, identical to Vert's. The lines on his armor immediately turned green as he did, and he raised the spear towards the sky. A powerful gust of wind coalesced and formed a tornado that destroyed all of the spheres that came into contact with it.

"That's my power!" Vert exclaimed in shock. As she tried to take a step forward, she suddenly felt a dizzy spell overcome her. She braced herself against the table, trying to steady herself. "Wait, what's-?!"

"This is the same kind of drain on our life force that Linda had!" Noire cursed, struggling to remain upright as she stared up at the battle between the CFW and Akai. "So Pirachu and Linda really do have the same kinds of powers!"

"Which means Akai should be suffering the same effects, right?!" Neptune asked, practically in hysterics by now. "He could die!"

They watched as Akai grinned and threw his spear at Pirachu. Green energy streaked from the tip, and the weapon exploded with enough force to send a train flying through the air like a toy. Pirachu flew to the side and crashed into the Basilicom, and the ceiling collapsed as he did.

Akai then raised his hand to the sky, and the lines on his body that were pulsing green suddenly changed color and became white. A massive, two-handed war hammer blinked into existence in Akai's hands.

One that looked like the splitting image of Blanc's.

"Hey, that's mine! That's my hammer!" Blanc screamed in what sounded like complaint, but no one paid it much attention. Their focus was riveted on the teenage boy.

Pirachu flew out of the Baslicom all of a sudden, carrying a massive ball of debris with him. "Take this, chu~!" Screaming that, the CFW attempted to use the massive lump of brick and steel to smash Akai into the ground.

Akai merely spun once and smashed it with the hammer in his hands, sending the debris raining down onto the ground messily. He quickly thrust out his hand and clenched his fist, and rings of ice suddenly formed around Pirachu and shackled his arms and legs together.

Akai then flew in close and delivered a powerful downwards strike that sent the CFW plummeting into the ground. Upon hitting the ground, a powerful shockwave made the entire city shudder and rumble unsteadily. Everyone on the terrace felt their balance shift, and they leaned against the closest thing they could reach to steady themselves.

He then flew down and landed right in front of the dazed Pirachu, and he threw the hammer away. It quickly dissipated, and Akai held out both of his hands. Instantly, two swords coalesced into existence in his hands.

One was a black and dark purple katana. The other was a large grey broadsword.

"That's-!" Noire pointed in shock at Akai, who brandished the weapon exactly like her own. Neptune just looked on in awe, unable to say anything.

Akai delivered three strikes to Pirachu with the swords, and then switched his grip on the broadsword and landed an uppercut to the rodent with the butt of the sword. As Pirachu flew into the air momentarily, Akai flew up and passed by him while delivering a powerful slash with the katana in his other hand.

Stopping in midair, Akai quickly soared back and delivered another slash to Pirachu's back before smashing him down into the ground again with another slash with his broadsword.

"Before I activate a skill, Pirachu, I'm courteous enough to leave you last words." Akai said, his voice hushed and dead serious. "Let me hear them."

"…I was never in it for Arfoire, chu~" Pirachu croaked, a self-loathing smile appearing on his snout. "Once Linda killed my angel Compa, I've always wanted to kill her myself. But I knew even then that I couldn't beat her, chu~ She's the stronger one. She always has been."

"…then I'll kill her. For Compa's sake and for you, then. I never forget someone who's shared tea with me, whether they be friend or foe." Akai replied, offering him a smile as his swords suddenly burst with blades of energy six feet long. The katana in long purple energy that formed a pointed blade of energy, and the broadsword in flashing iridescent energy that shot out a silhouette of white energy. "Anything else?"

Pirachu coughed and sighed. "You don't mince words, do you, chu~? Good luck, Akai."

With that, Akai raced forward and smashed both of the swords onto Pirachu. The most powerful explosion yet sailed outwards, eye-murdering light flashing for a mile long and a sonic boom racing outwards that made teeth rattle and houses shift in place.

And for a while, all was silent.

Akai narrowed his eyes.

In front of him, where Pirachu had once been standing with a battered grin, was a floating piece of crystal. It looked exactly like the Sharicite, but it glowed with a sinister magenta color.

_So this is the power of Prime Arfoire? _

Before Akai could let a single sound out of his mouth, the crystal suddenly flashed brightly before rushing forward. It struck Akai and went inside him, sending him flying backwards and onto the ground, unconscious.

"Akai!" IF cried out, vaulting off of the terrace, which had been charred with energy blasts and scattered with the debris of the smashed portions of the Basilicom. She landed straight on the floor, a few stories below the terrace, but appeared undaunted and unharmed as she sprinted to Akai's side.

"What the hell did he do in one hour?" Noire muttered to herself, peering over the edge of the terrace at Akai.

Vert just glanced at him and looked away. "I'd like to know that myself."

* * *

Akai woke up to find himself in the dream world once again. He recognized the grass caressing his fingers and the pleasant scent of flowers that wafted into his nostrils.

"…so, we're back to this?" He asked out loud, laughing a little. He let out a big sigh, and then stood up to turn around.

"Well, I figured I'd congratulate you on getting this far."

Enfive stood across from him, a gentle smile on her face. "You have the Power of Faith running within you. Congratulations."

But she suddenly frowned, and her expression darkened. "But you have something else within you as well. Why do I detect the power of Fear, Akai?"

He just laughed and touched his chest, running his fingers over the spot where the crimson piece of Sharicite had run into him. "…it was a deal I made with Pirachu."

"Huh?" She just raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "What do you mean? You deal in trade with the Criminals of the Free World?"

"Wrong, Enfive." Akai said, letting his CPU form manifest. The armor materialized around his body, and he felt the power rise from deep within and up to his fingertips. A small orb of gently shining light appeared above his right palm, rotating like a miniature planet. "He didn't do it for himself. He never wanted to become a CFW for Arfoire, or whatever the spiel is. That's why I chose to befriend him."

Enfive just grunted and crossed her arms, still eyeing the boy with a look of suspicion.

"…Linda killed the person Pirachu wanted to get close to." Akai said, his smile growing bitter. "That's all there is to it. He immediately began to hate her for it, and being a CFW became his token to developing a weapon to kill her. He devised a secret strategy with Linda to find someone who could connect with the power of Faith and then use them to destroy the CPUs in Hyperdimension."

"So that's what their plan was?" Enfive clenched her fists. "So that's why they brought you to Hyperdimension?"

Akai nodded. "They were planning on having me connect to the Sharicite, and then using that connection to drain the Faith out of Hyperdimension. Doing so would make Fear spread, and make it easier possible to summon Arfoire."

"…you still haven't answered my question. What did you talk to Pirachu about?"

"Thing is," Akai sat back down and glanced at the capital of Gamindustri that he could see from here, the city that Enfive herself governed. "Pirachu told me something. About how Croire is the one behind all this."

"Croire?" Enfive looked away. "So she's what's pushing them forward?"

"She gave Linda and Pirachu the remaining fragments of Arfoire Prime's powers, the Trojans and said that it would be the key to help bring back Arfoire." Akai just scoffed and then furrowed his eyebrows. "But that's not their Arfoire. With the Trojans, I suspect that Croire was scheming to summon Arfoire Prime."

Enfive's expression just grew more and more worried. "I see. So…why did you-?"

"He told me that even if he and Linda fought head on, Pirachu would never have won." Akai said, laughing as if to spite the dead rat. "She got greedy, and took the bigger portion of the Trojan when Croire gave it to the two of them. Pirachu wound up with the weaker powers, and Linda's the stronger one."

"But, you know what?" Akai raised his left hand upwards, the palm facing skyward.

And just above it, a dark black sphere coalesced into existence. It cracked and fizzed with crimson and indigo lightning, which stretched out violently as if reaching for any and every sign of life with a five mile radius. The arms of oddly-colored lightning charred and ignited the blades of grass that came into contact with it.

"He said that Faith wasn't enough. And so we decided: I was going to take him out anyway, and he wanted her dead. I'll kill him now and take his Trojan, and I'll use it to kill Linda, Magic, Trick and Judge. Then I'll bag Croire and do what I think I should do with her then."

"…you really are ruthless, now that you've gotten serious." Enfive let out a sigh. "So? With all of this power in your hands now, you won't be making the girls fall love with you anymore, right?"

"Wait, what?" Akai clenched his fists and let the energy from both the Faith and the Fear dissipate. "What are you talking about?"

"The connection to the CPUs, the bonds, that you would form, would inadvertently link you to the Sharicite and enable you draw strength from the Shares." Enfive replied as if she were lecturing him like a teacher would her student. "Since you've already created a direct link to the power of Faith, you no longer need to make them fall for you in order to get stronger."

"Hmm…" Akai put a hand to his chin. "Well, if I had more than one way to access the power of Faith, wouldn't that make things easier for me? Or…rather, wouldn't that make me twice as strong? At least, something to that effect?"

"It'll make it easier for you to draw on the power of the Shares with two power lines connected to the generator instead of one." Enfive replied, shrugging her shoulders. She began hovering just above the ground, taking a position as if she were sitting on a chair despite there being none. "But I know you don't really care about that."

"…well, I don't really need to do it anymore, do I?"

Akai smashed one fist, crackling with Fear energy, against the other one, which glowed with Faith energy. The result was an immense shockwave that flattened the grass below them so neatly it looked almost like paint.

"But then again, it would be great insurance. If they would all fight alongside me, I can be assured of victory."

"Do as you wish." Enfive giggled and poked him on the nose. "I leave the choice to you. Besides, I think all of your planning would go to waste if you didn't do anything."

"I only have one question." Akai narrowed his eyes, and he disengaged his CPU Form. The armor and the plug suit disappeared, leaving Akai in his normal clothes. "…what's with Aoi? Why is she there with me?"

"…in order for you to be considered a CPU, someone needs to place their faith in you, right?" Enfive just turned to gaze at her city, which stood in the distance. "She's there to believe in you. That's why your powers gave birth to her: you can't be a CPU if no one believes in you."

"So you **do **know about her." Akai replied, glancing up at the sky. "So…she's supposed to be the one person who I can rely on more than anyone else, right? The one who will fight alongside me and believe in me the way no one else can?"

"Not quite." Enfive just laughed knowingly. "You'll also need to work for her heart. But you have that all planned out already, don't you?"

"…at least try to make things easier for me, please, if you're an all-powerful." Akai just chuckled in reply and hung his head in defeat. "I'd appreciate it if you could help me save Gigadimension without extra hassle."

"There's still a prophecy going on, you know?" Enfive replied. "It will be fulfilled, one way or another."

"Yeah. That prophecy." Akai just addressed the topic with a flat voice. "It hasn't been really discussed with me, so I only have single question about it."

"Whether or not I answer it depends on what your question is."

"…did you make the prophecy, Enfive?"

"Does it really matter, Akai? Besides, you're going to wake up soon. You might want to ask the more important questions now."

"What does the prophecy mean?"

"You'll find the answer yourself."

"Will I see you again?"

Enfive smiled again, but her smile had taken on an air of sadness. "Maybe. That's up to you now. With your connection to the flow of Faith, you can communicate with me whenever you please. And if you get stronger, you can come here on your own."

"…it's a date, then." Akai smiled and nodded.

Suddenly, Akai started to hear very faint, muffled voices in the back of his mind like someone had stuffed pillows into his ears.

He recognized the voices of Histoire and Aoi, alongside a barrage of other people.

"…guess I should go." Akai said, and he just let his body fall backwards while he closed his eyes.

But he disappeared before he hit the ground, leaving Enfive alone.

* * *

"Akai?"

He woke up to find himself surrounded, IF's voice still lingering in his ears. Histoire hovered directly above him, her eyes glittering with concern. IF and Aoi sat on opposite sides of the bed, their worried stares making him feel a little too conscious.

"I'm good, I'm good. Relax." He sat up and scratched the back of his head. "Anything interesting happen while I was out?"

"Well, we helped ourselves to your fridge." Neptune replied instantaneously before getting conked on the head by Noire.

"It was just her." The Lastation CPU retorted. "The rest of us aren't rude enough to take someone else's food without permission."

"In fact, you should be harsher with Neptune." Blanc added, crossing her arms over her head. "Why do you even let her take your food, anyway?"

"Well…I live here, so it's become a kind of tax." Akai replied, laughing embarrassedly. "I've already gotten used to it, so it should be fine."

"Wait, let's not get off topic." Vert said, trying to take the reins of the conversation that was slowly turning off course. "There's a question I want answered, more than anything else."

"Sure." Akai nodded and leaned backwards, propping himself up on his palms.

"How come you were able to use our CPU Weapons?"

The air in the room grew serious and heavy, and the rest of the CPUs present immediately took a very obvious interest in the new topic of conversation.

Akai just let out a deep breath. "It wasn't really anything special. Pirachu and I just went around each piece of Sharicite in every nation, and I established a connection with each piece when I touched them. I'm linked to all four nations' Shares now, so I can take a form similar to your CPU forms."

"But how are you able to do that?" Noire asked, pressing forward. "I mean, you're just a human."

"It's a little difficult to explain." Akai glanced at the window idly as he spoke. "If I were to put it simply, I have the ability to connect to the power of the Shares. And so I did just that."

"You shouldn't do that without our permission, Akai. No matter how dire the situation, that's a course of action you should consult with us about first." Vert replied, her tone sounding quite upset.

"…sorry about that." Akai answered apologetically, bowing his head.

He looked up to find everyone else staring at him with a look of surprise. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No…but I wasn't expecting you to apologize so easily." Blanc replied, a smile appearing on her face.

"What kind of character do you think I am?" Akai grinned. "I know when it's really my fault."

"…so?" Vert asked, sighing. "What now?"

"We go to Gigadimension. What else?"

* * *

…_it doesn't feel right…_

_I don't feel that good. _

Akai felt the urge to fall over hit him, and he tried his best to shake it off. He braced himself against the bedpost.

"Are you alright?" Aoi asked, rushing to his side and helping him. "The others left to get ready to leave. Should I call them?"

"No, it's okay." Akai replied, staggering back to his feet. "I should be fine."

_It's like there's something fighting inside me…like a war that's draining my energy…Is this the result of taking in the Trojan and the CPU's powers? Maybe getting all of the power was more of a bad idea than I thought…_

"You don't look so good, Akai." Aoi said, escorting him to the bed and sitting him down.

"Aoi…I need to tell you the new plan."

"Oh, there's a new plan?"

"Aoi…I won't be conquering anyone anymore. We're going to go to Gigadimension, find the new CPUs, defeat the CFWs, and then get the fuck out."

"Why? Your conquest plans will all go to waste."

"It'd be nice, and hella fun, but I might make things even more difficult now. Pirachu's powers are warring with the CPU's powers inside of me, and that might hurt everyone else."

"…can you still fight in that condition, Akai? You might get yourself killed."

"Never mind me. We need to get wipe them off of Gigadimension's map forever. More importantly, how's the operation going?"

"Yeah, Histoire II made things easier for me. It's all going according to your plan."

"I'm surprised they managed to round up a team in this short a time."


	29. Chapter 26: Finally in Gigadimension

**Chapter 26: Finally in Gigadimension**

"So, what's going on now, Histoire?" Veeta asked the floating Insurgent a few feet away with her hands situated in a carefree position behind her head. "You said that you needed our squad for something?"

"Well, you see, I just got a notice." Histoire II replied, turning to Veeta. Her expression seemed to mix relief and eagerness. "Your final squad member is going to join us in a few minutes."

"You have not given us any sufficient information regarding this final squad member, if I may." Genesis stepped in, folding her arms and looking cross.

"Her circumstances are a little special." Histoire II replied, turning to Genesis before continuing to float forward. "Information is scarce here."

"Do these circumstances have something to do with the fact that we're standing in the middle of enemy territory?" Veeta asked, gesturing to the entire space that they were in.

The group had relocated farther away from Gekko, and were smack dab in the midst of the ruins of a city that they knew had been annihilated entirely by CFW Linda and Pirachu during their battle. Ruined buildings and the remains of every architectural feat of the nation prior to the CFWs' coming surrounded them hauntingly.

"Yes, that's correct." Kei II replied matter-of-factly, her attention constantly rotating between a device she was using in her hands and the surroundings. "She will be accompanied by several others who will also be crucial to the battle against the CFWs."

"I see." Dihez muttered, staring down at a small device in her hands. She swiped up with her finger multiple times, reading through the words that appeared on the screen at a frightening pace. "Information states that Linda and Pirachu have ceased their battle several minutes ago several thousand clicks to the west."

"Then we're going to finish this up now." Histoire II stated as she stopped moving and gestured with her arms for everyone present to give her room. As they took steps backwards at the Insurgent's request, she turned around and raised her hands to the sky. "This is going to attract some attention, so please keep an eye on the area while I'm doing this."

As if it were at her beck and call, a pillar of light suddenly shot down from the sky and struck the ground. Upon hitting the ground, it made no noise as if it were nothing but a mirage. The light was surprisingly gentle and soft; easy on the eyes as it glowed and pulsed with energy.

"Yeah, this is definitely going to get some attention." Veeta muttered, glancing around uneasily like a rat waiting for the cat to appear.

And suddenly, they heard a massive impact hitting the ground as if a giant had fallen from the sky and struck the ground feet-first. The earth rumbled and shook, almost throwing everyone present of their feet and onto their bellies. Some got down on one knee, pressing their hands to the ground to regain their balance, while others crouched. Dihez stabbed the back end of her hammer into the ground to serve as a support.

When the girls turned in the direction of the source, they were faced with a massive hulking robotic giant standing over them. He floated like a magnetized piece of metal, and glowed with an ominous blue light that they were all familiar with. With a massive double ended axe that glowed with the same light as his metallic body and clawed fingers that could punch holes through buildings with ease, a Criminal of the Free World floated before them imposingly and emanating an aura of bloodlust that made the entire squad shiver and take a single step back in dread.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" CFW Judge's laugh bellowed loudly and rang across the blank expanse of ruined land, making the air vibrate and shake terrifyingly. He grabbed his axe and smashed it into the ground, creating massive cracks and fissures in the ground as easily as knives cut through tenderized pork. "TO THINK THAT ALL OF YOU BITCHES ARE HERE IN ONE PLACE! YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"

"Keep him distracted." Histoire II pleaded, keeping her eyes locked onto the pillar of light. Sweat dribbled past her cheek and dripped to the ground from both exhaustion and nervousness as she focused on the pillar of light in front of her. "I'm not done here, yet."

"Gotcha." Veeta replied strangely cheerily, and she pulled out a bunch of throwing knives with ticking timers on their pommels. "Though I can't do much, I'll gladly fight anyone evil if it means wiping them off the face of Gamindustri."

"Driving enemy away." Dihez muttered, and she dashed forward much to everyone's shock. As she leaped up into the air, she spun once and swung her hammer at Judge's head.

He simply raised his arm to block it, and the hammer's head made a high-pitched ping as it smashed into the surface of Judge's armor. However, the impact left no visible damage. A fact that shocked even its wielder.

"DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT-?!"

Before Judge could continue, Dihez clicked the button on the handle and sent a dozen missiles straight into his face and cut him off. As the smoke and dust rose into the air and hid her from sight, Dihez quickly retreated and regrouped with the rest of the girls.

"Jeanne. Dihez. Distract him while I set this up." Genesis said, patting her comrades on their shoulders before pulling out her minigun and aiming in the direction she'd last seen Judge before the smokescreen had appeared and blocked him from sight.

At the press of a button, a tripod materialized from the steel underneath the barrel of the weapon and secured itself into the ground, the steel poles stabbed into the surface of the ground like a lethal camera. The barrels opened up and bent at an angle, making it look like two tuning forks over one another. The inside of the barrels began to glow with a dark yellow light, and electric sparks began to fizz and charge the air.

"Got it!" Jeanne affirmed, nodding and equipping her gauntlets. As she smashed the fists into one another, the gauntlets suddenly extended and began to cover her arms up until the shoulders with dark purple and indigo alloy. "I'll be sure to protect you!"

Suddenly, the smokescreen was blown away with a very violent gust of wind. As the girls look on, they saw Judge swinging his axe crazily and rending the smoke into halves somehow, and then slicing those halves of smoky air into smaller and smaller pieces until they

Jeanne ran forward, sliding under a powerful axe swing and landing a single punch into Judge's armor.

But not a dent nor a scratch.

"Uh, Genesis? If you're going to do anything, do it now!" Jeanne called out nervously, somersaulting over another axe swing and making distance. "The best I can do is distract him!"

"Almost got it!" Genevieve called back, and she quickly loaded a single fist sized bullet into the chamber and locked in. "Get clear!"

Jeanne leaped away as far as she could the instant she heard her say that, and a moment later, everyone's ears were assaulted with a high-pitched whine.

A powerful boom and a cloud of gunpowder sparking with electricity followed a single bullet that flew into Judge like a red-hot miniature meteor. Connecting with Judge, the impact generated a powerful explosion that made the ground tremble.

But as the smoke cleared once again, all they could see was a minor injury on Judge's arm that was slowly healing in front of their eyes.

"So my railgun can't do much right now…" Genesis muttered to herself, turning it back into a minigun. "Chika, Kei! Requesting assistance!"

The two Insurgents nodded, and they dashed forward. Kei II ducked under a violent axe swing, slightly buffeted by the wind it kicked up, and then let loose with her dual full-auto pistols at close range. Chika II, further back, tossed five grenades into the air and watched them explode in a horseshoe formation around Judge.

"Hahaha!" But the massive CFW just cackled and swung his axe, and the smoke dissipated into the air and cleared, leaving the girls visible once again. "Give me a challenge, you fools! Give me a fight!"

"He's too strong." Chika II cursed, continuing to shoot him futilely as she shot a worried glance at Kei II. "He has too much strength."

"I know." Kei II said, her eyebrows scrunching as she also kept firing at him. Her bullets bounced off in an endless tidal wave of attacks, doing nothing but amusing the CFW that took his time in approaching them. She focused her energy into the guns and fired a single, powerful bullet from each of them that left a glowing trail of blue energy as it sailed and flew right into Judge's body, creating a massive explosion of blue energy.

Judge still remained unscathed, patting his abdomen with his hand as he continued to float forward while hefting his axe. "Boring! Too boring! Is this all you have left?!"

"Histoire!" Chika II yelled out, her focus still on the approaching CFW. "Any time now! We could use some help!"

"I'm almost done! Just three more minutes!"

"I'm tired of hearing that one!"

Chika II gnashed her teeth together as she drew her spear and charged at Judge, attempting to drive her spear into his body.

"Weak!" He screamed in savage enjoyment, smashing the spear aside and sending it spiraling out of Chika II's hands before he drilled his fist into her stomach and sent her flying back into the one of the leftover walls of the ruined buildings.

_He's too strong now! _Kei II thought to herself, still firing her pistols with no effect. _We need to do something! _

Suddenly, she caught a glance of a blur, only to be left in shock when she saw Veeta rushing in.

Veeta dashed in and fired two crossbow bolts that struck Judge's eyes, blinding him momentarily. As he floated backwards unsteadily, Veeta leaped up and held her hand out to catch a piece of plastic explosive thrown from Dihez. She quickly secured it onto the fingers encircling his axe and jumped off, running back to a safe distance.

She then detonated the explosives, making Judge drop his weapon momentarily. Veeta glanced at the rest of her comrades, nodding. "Guys, keep doing this! We can delay him for longer!"

"ENOUGH GAMES!" Judge roared, having finally lost his patience. His gaze instantly turned to the pillar of light and the person next to it: Histoire II. He suddenly soared at an incredible speed towards the Insurgent, grabbing his weapon from the ground so hard that he left a small crater in the ground as he sped at Histoire II.

Histoire II just brought her hands away from the pillar of light and turned to face Judge, and she extended her arm at Judge. A massive wall of light suddenly appeared, and Judge's axe bounced off of it and sent sparks flying. She turned to the pillar of light that was slowly fading away, a feeling of relief spreading through when she saw him standing there.

"Did I miss anything?" Akai asked, cracking his knuckles. He grinned a carefree grin, and Histoire II felt an exasperated grin spread on her own face.

"Well, we're in a bit of trouble, so help us out." She said in reply, her expression growing serious as she turned to face Judge again, her fingers crackling with energy.

Akai turned around to see Mina II and Aoi standing behind him, Mina II's eyes locked onto the enemy in front and Aoi just looking around the landscape. "Mind backing us up?"

Mina II nodded, drawing her pistols and dashing ahead, her bullets clanging against Judge's body like marbles against a brick wall. She quickly slid under a swing of his axe and regrouped with the rest of the squad.

"How was the other dimension?" Chika II asked her, grinning.

"…it was great." Mina II said, sighing, her expression turning solemn. "We need to protect it."

"I was worried when they reported you'd just left." Jeanne commented, her eyes still trained on Judge who was fast approaching them. "My commanding officer just up and went."

"Sorry." Mina II said apologetically, and she pointed to the side. "I had to go and get him."

The whole squad ducked when Akai suddenly rammed into Judge directly, sending the CFW flying far and into the ruins of a damaged building. He struck the ground, and the rubble caved in on him and concealed him from sight.

"Not bad, boy." Kei II turned around and was about to congratulate him further, but she stopped when she saw him.

Akai had dropped down to one knee and was breathing heavily, his hand cradling his other shoulder as if he'd been injured. The CPU armor surrounding him was sparking and discharging random bursts of energy randomly. Half of his body was covered in it, and the other half was altered and warped into a twisted version of the armor. The color had even changed from red to indigo, and the warped side of his body looked like it was emitting a strange, sickly aura of energy.

"Akai!" Aoi called out worriedly, rushing to his side. She crouched down and looked more closely at him. "Are you-?!"

Seeing his eyes shocked her all the more.

One eye was as always, constantly shifting through the spectrum of colors.

But his other eye was the same indigo color his twisted, distorted armor was giving off.

"What's going on?!" Mina II rushed to his side and crouched as well, looking down at the amalgamated side of his body. "Is this a result of Pirachu's power?!"

"No time for that!" Akai groaned impatiently and dragged himself back to his feet, and he reached out with his hand. The CPU side of his body turned purple, and he drew a katana out of the air. But when he gripped it with both hands, he let out a growl of pain as he watched the blade suddenly twist and turn to form a corrupted version of the weapon.

He quickly ran forward, ignoring the waves of pain being sent through his leg, and smashed his blade into Judge. His attack left a cut, which made Judge's eyes widen in rage.

"Die!" Judge, seemingly having lost his cool, swung his axe far more viciously than earlier. Akai swung his sword and intercepted the blow with his own sword, but he felt the feedback pain him even more. Judge cursed and tried to hit him again, but Akai sidestepped the attack and placed his palm on Judge's body.

Instantly. Judge felt his body weakening and his strength draining from the contact, and he broke contact and flew backwards to a safer distance. He eyes Akai warily, and began to slowly float to the side.

…_goddamn it…_ Akai thought to himself as he strafed as well to keep Judge in front of him. He felt the drain on his strength dulling his reflexes and giving him a slight headache that was only getting stronger and stronger. His weapons were getting minutely heavier by the second, and he didn't like the feeling.

He could feel himself getting weaker thanks to the two conflicting powers fighting each other inside him.

Judge roared as he rushed forward, but another form suddenly burst in before Akai could move and sent Judge off balance and made him fly right past Akai. As Akai followed the blur with his eyes, he saw Jeanne descending from the air and land on the ground. She quickly ran over to him.

"Hi, I'm Jeanne." She greeted him politely, despite the situation. "Thanks for taking care of my commanding officer, Insurgent Mina."

"Oh, no problem." Akai replied, transferring his attention to Judge, who had turned around and begun to charge again. He winced at another drain of his strength, and he braced his legs to try and remain upright. "We can chat later. First, let's take care of him."

Right before Judge's next attack could land, Jeanne ran forward and deflected the attack with a solid kick that sent the axe spiraling out of his hands. Afterwards, Akai whistled when he saw a powerful blast that left a ringing in his ears smash into Judge and propelled Judge a far distance away.

"That's Genesis' railgun." Jeanne landed back onto the ground and pointed at her fellow squad member. "She'll cover the back for us."

Akai raised his eyebrows once in appreciation as he watched Dihez and Veeta rush past him and aim for Judge, beginning to assault him with a number of mid-ranged and close-ranged attacks that did nothing but distract him.

"…you're all really competent." Akai muttered, noting Veeta's very fast and acrobatic movements and Dihez's impressive strength as they ducked and weaved around Judge's attacks while landing an ineffective strike in between attacks. "Well, I guess you're not in this squad for nothi-"

His words stopped in his throat when another powerful impact rocked the ground and made him almost lose his balance.

As he looked at the source, he let out a loud sigh.

"…you went and killed the rat, huh?" Linda sneered, drawing her baton and her morning star as she slowly walked towards Akai. She smashed the morning star into the ground threateningly, the earth easily giving way underneath her blow. "I can tell by the look of you now."

"Well, it's easier with less people to fight." Akai replied with a wolfish grin, drawing his version of Noire's sword out and wielding it with one hand. His katana, held in his one hand, turned back to its original form. However, he held the other broadsword in his corrupted side's hand. The broadsword had twisted and become quite evil-looking, like a cursed blade.

"…looks like you've got a bigger problem on your hands." Linda laughed, and she dashed forward. Akai crossed his blades and blocked Linda's overhead strike, and then pushed her backwards.

Akai ran forward and tried to hit Linda with a sideswipe, which she easily parried with her baton. They began trading blows one after another, and Linda's eyebrows rose when her attack was blocked.

"…you're weaker."

Akai gritted his teeth when she said that, but didn't say anything else.

"You won't be a good opponent to me like this." Linda replied, her tone flat as she somersaulted away and struck the ground with both of her weapons. The result was a shockwave that blew everyone off of their feet and sent them flying backwards, landing on their backs. She turned to Judge and lifted a finger at him, gesturing for him to follow her. "Come on, Judge. We have what Magic asked for. We're done here."

"…fine." Judge said quietly, lowering his axe and turning around. The two CFWs jetted into the air and flew off without another word, leaving the group in disarray.

Akai just sighed and disengaged his transformation, relief spreading through his body as the brunt of the drain on his strength was gone. Standing up, he turned to the rest of the group and walked towards Histoire II, where everyone else seemed to be reforming.

"So…nice welcome." Akai commented to Histoire II, glancing back at the shrinking forms of Linda and Judge. "Did you have to pay them?"

"Can we keep the serious mood for the duration of your stay, Akai?" Histoire II replied bluntly, raising a hand in his direction. She then turned to the rest of the squad girls and gestured to Aoi. "Girls, this is the final member of your squad. Her name is Aoi."

"…I don't mean to sound offensive." Genesis began, eyeing Aoi doubtfully. "But what qualifications does she have that would make you assign her to the team?"

"She's adept at close combat, and her specialty is an array of magic spells under the tutelage of her…" Histoire II turned back to Akai. "What exactly is your relationship now that Aoi is human?"

Aoi and Akai shot each other a look, a silent conversation warring in between them.

"_Pet isn't the right word. In fact, misunderstandings will arise if I call you that." _

"_No duh, Akai. Just say I'm your little sister figure or something." _

"_Little sister __**figure**__? I'm sure you realize how that sounds, Aoi." _

After a lengthy, wordless debate, Akai spoke. "She's my little sister…figure."

Silence.

"…come again?" Veeta asked, stumped. "Little sister…figure?"

"Meaning that the girl is not your own little sister, but rather someone who poses as a little sister for…undisclosed reasons." Dihez muttered analytically, moving forward and tugging Aoi away from Akai. "…I only detect the intentions of a pervert."

"That's not what I'm going to…never mind." Akai gave up and looked around. "Look, I'm exhausted after all that. I'd rather take a nap and recover my energy before anything."

"There's a lot I'd like to know about you…such as those powers you were using." Genesis said, crossing her arms.

"I'll be glad to answer those questions later." Akai replied, sagging his shoulders. "But for now, I'd like to get back inside whatever underground city Histoire II was talking about before."

"…why are you calling her Histoire II?" Jeanne asked curiously, shooting a confused glance at the Histoire present and then back at Akai. "Is that some sort of cute nickname for her or something? I had no idea you two were that close."

"It's not that kind of thing." Histoire II replied, clearly not keen on the idea of explaining. "Let's get back in my office before the explanation. We'll teleport there to save time."

At the same time she said that, the fairy-like Insurgent raised her hand towards a spot near the ground. A magic circle appeared, and it slowly rose into the air and became a glowing portal.

"…convenient." Akai said appreciatively as he watched everyone else file into the portal, and he patted Aoi on the head and went in together with her, and the portal closed behind them.

* * *

"I'm worried for them."

Neptune looked at her sister, who was clearly unable to focus the game in front of her. It was also visible in her gameplay. No one was bad enough at Mario Kart to come in last place, anyway.

"Well, Histy said that we can't go along with them. If we did, no one would be around in case the baddies come here." Neptune said in reply, turning her attention back to the pudding in her hands. "Besides, he's got Shares on his side now. He won't go down so easily."

"I know…but I still can't help but worry." Nepgear replied uneasily, putting down the controller and turning around. "You, on the other hand, don't seem to be worried at all even though you know the fate of a dimension rests in his hands."

"Well, I know how main protagonist stuff usually goes down." Neptune replied nonchalantly, swallowing the whole cupful of pudding and then tossing it at the far side of the room. "One way or another, things work out."

"Irresponsible as always, you are."

Neptune glanced at the table to the side, where Noire was sitting with her arms crossed as she stared at the television monitor blankly. The Lastation CPU looked deep in thought before she broke her gaze and looked at Neptune. "That guy connected himself to the Sharicite and used our powers without permission, and he left us behind despite involving us in the first place."

Neptune just stared at her. "You're still here?"

"Of course we are, idiot." Blanc replied, walking out of the kitchen alongside Vert. Both ladies sat down on the other couch seats near Nepgear, cups of tea in their hands to go with the plate of biscuits in the center of the table next to them. Blanc shot a glare at the Planeptune CPU. "Like hell I can just get back to work like nothing happened after all that."

"Personally, I still haven't forgiven Akai." Vert added, her tone seemingly calm. But it was the kind of calm that anyone could feel was barely contained: the kind of calm that was suppressing anger. "He has no authority and no respect for our positions as CPUs to do what he did."

"I agree." Noire agreed, nodding her head. She stood from her seat and walked towards the table, getting a biscuit and taking a bite out of it. "No regard for us as CPUs. It's like he didn't really care about that."

"…can you blame him? He's only been here for a while, from another universe where people like us don't exist." Nepgear said, making everyone turn to her. Her eyes were focused on the screen, but she only drifted through the character selection screen and didn't press any buttons. Her voice sounded a little distant. "I know how you feel, but…I think we should try to understand him."

Nepgear then pointed at the floor and shot a glance at the four CPUs, a bitter smile on her face. "After all, we're still spending time in his oversized room."

Neptune laughed heartily in reply, and she stood up and dashed into his kitchen. "That reminds me: Time to check if he's still got leftovers!"

"Hey, don't eat everything." Nepgear called out as she stood up, and she rushed into the door of the kitchen and followed her sister.

Nepgear was taken completely by surprise when she saw her big sister kneeling in front of the open refrigerator. Nepgear felt her breath leave her lungs at the amazing sight in front of her.

The fridge was stocked to the brim and absolutely full with food; so much food that it would spill over if handled carelessly. Main courses and desserts of all sorts lined the shelves, looking more and more like a warehouse fit for a wealthy man's apocalypse bunker than a man's everyday kitchen.

"What is…?" Nepgear approached Neptune, who was just staring at the food in wonder. Nearing her older sister, the CPU Candidate spotted a note that was placed on the door of the refrigerator.

It read:

_To Neptune, _

_I know you ended up moving in here since you wanted my cooking. So, since I'll be gone for a while, I figured I'd make you a good supply while I'm gone. Don't worry, I took into account your massive appetite. The fridge in the Basilicom's kitchen and the shelves in my kitchen are also full of food, so don't hesitate to eat as much as you want. Just don't eat your sister's share too. I labeled it appropriately, so keep clear of it. _

"…is that really the reason that Neptune started pestering him on a daily basis?" Nepgear realized that Noire that had read it from afar before striding forward and taking the piece of paper from the fridge. "Goodness…he's spoiling her."

"…his food's good, though." Blanc commented, having walked past Neptune and taken a small forkful of one of the plates of pasta. "I don't think any five-star chef I've ever seen could top this."

"…true." Vert admitted, taking a taste of the food as well. "I would hire him myself under normal circumstances and never let anyone else have him."

"…for a rude person who doesn't have respect for positions…he's surprisingly kind and considerate." Noire said, her voice subdued and lost in thought. "…he's been doing that since the first day we got here, too."

"…you mean when the copying power thing was mentioned, and he was trying to think of us as women more than us as CPUs?" Vert replied, glancing out the far window. "A kind sentiment, but an unnecessary one."

"…I'm still worried." Nepgear muttered, her gaze lingering on the food in the fridge. "I feel like if he'd stayed here long enough, he would have been a great friend."

"Ya kiddin me?" Neptune shot back, already digging into three platefuls pf food. "With cooking this good, questing skills and video game playing skills, we would have the first male protagonist worthy of stealing my title!"

"What on earth are you going on about, you idiot…?" Noire muttered, pressing a finger to her temple. "But none of this changes the fact that he's gone to Gigadimension connected to our Sharicite and is currently risking life and limb for an entire dimension."

"…that's usually our job."

Everyone fell silent at Vert's words.

"…guys, try this homemade pizza!" Neptune broke the atmosphere easily with a mouthful of tomato and cheese stretching her cheeks. "He went all out on this one!"

"Good grief." Noire just sighed and made a small smile, and she walked over to the open fridge. "I think tasting his food will make it harder to stay mad at him."

The raven-haired CPU pointed hesitantly at the pizza, making the CPUs of Lowee and Leanbox grin as if they were trying to hold back their laughter. "…give me a piece, Neptune."


	30. Chapter 27: Fear over Faith

**Chapter 27: Fear over Faith**

"So, this is your office…" Akai muttered to himself, casting his gaze about as he walked through the portal.

They were in an office much like the Hyperdimension Histoire's own office. The room was quite cubic in appearance and had steel walls that looked like it could withstand a nuclear explosion. Wooden furniture practically identical to the furniture in the Hyperdimension Basilicom was everywhere, shelves and tables carved in exquisite designs that looked a little out of place in the otherwise dull room.

It was much larger, though, being spacious enough for more than everyone present. In front of the large desk where Histoire II seemed to work was a very wide area where multiple people could stand without feeling discomforted. A number of iron office shelves with drawers lined with files and books were present as well, surrounding the group that had walked into the middle of it all.

"This looks really…" Akai trailed off, looking around and admiring the room. He walked forward, ignoring everyone else, and ran his fingers over one of the shelves. "Really unnecessary for a city that could be destroyed any minute now."

"These were scavenged from the remains of the Planeptune Basilicom when the CFWs appeared, Akai." Histoire II replied sadly, glancing at the furniture with a hint of gloomy reminiscence. "I would appreciate it if you didn't say things like that."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean disrespect." Akai apologized, bowing before he walked over and stood in front of the desk where Histoire II was now hovering.

"You'd better not say something like that again." Genesis suddenly threatened, glaring at Akai. "I won't tolerate rudeness to something that people worked so hard to obtain."

"Genevieve." Histoire II stated as if to warn her, and Genesis went silent and crossed her arms.

"I apologize." Akai repeated his bow of apology, and then turned to Histoire II. "So…what happens now?"

"First, we need to fill the squad in." Histoire II replied, crossing her arms. "They know nothing about you nor your…little sister figure. I can't really explain the story well, so I think it would be best to inform them about everything. I will not tolerate the withholding of any information regarding our operations. If I found out that-"

"Yeah, yeah." Akai cut her off, sighing and walking in front of the four squad girls lined up. He looked each one up and down, and then sagged his shoulders. "Alright, so this is what's happening right now…"

**Fifteen minutes later…**

"…so you're a human being from another dimension that has nothing to do with Hyperdimension at all that had been summoned there by accident due to Lady Histoire's summoning having malfunctioned." Genevieve's eyes had already narrowed as she spoke, trying to sum everything up into a cohesive whole. "You obtained powers from the CPU of a place called Gamindustri Prime, and you have the ability to connect to the power of the Shares and use that power in the same that a CPU would normally use it. And now you've come to our world, Gigadimension, to help us defeat the CFWs by finding the new CPUs of this world and recruiting them."

"Not a bad summary." Akai nodded in agreement. "I don't think you've missed anything crucial." He clapped his hands together decisively. "So, shall we make our plans?"

"Right." Jeanne agreed. "So, the Sharicite is in the hands of the CFWs, correct? If that's our objective, we need to find out where they're keeping it."

"Yes." Akai replied, crossing his arms. "Their objective is to revive Arfoire through instilling Fear into the citizens and collecting that negative energy to use as their power source."

"…I didn't realize it would turn out like this." Chika II, who was standing with other three Oracles behind Histoire II's desk, muttered almost to herself. She looked up at Akai. "That means that their primary objective is to attack the citizens and gather Fear."

"Mm." Akai nodded, grunting in agreement. "I figured the reason that they weren't attacking the citizens themselves was because they were gathering their energy from an alternate source. Namely, the war that Linda and Pirachu had going on."

"They're getting Fear from that mess?" Veeta asked curiously, pointing a finger at the ceiling. "How does that work?"

"Simple." Akai replied. "Those cloned soldiers of CopyPaste and Anonydeath are still intelligent. And intelligent beings will be afraid of someone forcing them to undergo hellish training and genetic development before being forced to smash the shit out of each other."

"…makes some sort of sense." Dihez muttered blankly, still staring at Akai continuously with a never-changing expression.

"...the CPUs are going to help us out of this? Don't give me that."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice, which was Genesis.

"The CPUs are dead. We saw it happen ourselves. They couldn't do anything in the face of the enemy when it mattered the most. What is bringing CPUs back supposed to do for us now, after they went and let down the whole world?"

…_opposition? _Akai narrowed his eyes. _This is the last thing we need. _

"And you plan on going against those superpowered villains." Akai stated calmly but challengingly, looking Genesis in the eyes. "They're gods. Superbeings that could take down a city with ease. Do you think you can defeat them?"

The room was silent for a moment, and Akai felt regret pat his neck slightly when he saw Genevieve's eyes glint with anger momentarily.

"…we have no choice." Genevieve replied, clenching her fists. She sounded like she was trying to rein in an explosion, as if holding back her anger. "We're on our own now. I saw it with my own eyes, you know: even gods can die. And I'm gonna make sure they do."

The air ran thick with tension, making everyone remain silent as they watched the conversation between Akai and Genesis in apprehension.

"…we need something to fight back against Fear." Aoi suddenly piped up, turning everyone's attention to her. "Faith is the only force that fights against Fear. If we don't do something to take the Fear away, it's only a matter of time before they gather enough. We need to fight Fear with Faith."

Genesis said nothing, and just averted her gaze.

"…you may rest for now, girls." Histoire II interjected, raising her voice. "Go to your quarters and recover your energy."

The four girls dispersed without another word, and the tension defused somewhat when the door closed behind them.

"…hey, Histoire II." Akai turned to the Insurgent. "Let's talk and walk. Show me around the place while we chat."

"…alright."

* * *

Akai and Histoire II left the office and immediately began walking around the walkways that led to the city itself. They stopped in front of a steel double door, which retracted into the walls into a long hallway. They stepped inside the hallway, and the doors went back in place.

"So…those were the girls?" Akai asked, his hands in his pockets as they walked. He sagged his head, his face pointed at the floor as if he were in despair. "The squad that will help me take down the CFWs?"

"They're our very best." Histoire II replied, giving him a stern look. "They're all powerful, strong and very dangerous on the field. Don't underestimate them at all."

"Yeah, I saw that." Akai remembered the sight of them fending off Judge, and he nodded in respectfulness. "If the enemy weren't so overloaded with power, they'd definitely be fearsome."

As the two reached the door at the end of the hallway they were walking, it also retreated into the walls and made way for them. They stepped through, and Akai found himself beholding Gekko for the first time.

It wasn't rundown like he'd thought it would have been, especially after reading the report on the damages they'd suffered and the situation they were in. Grey buildings that rose towards upwards like skyscrapers were more than plentiful, and all of them looked like they were equipped to ward off a nuclear explosion. The grey steel shone even from a distance like polished platinum, and Akai could see lines running down each and every building as if they were inspired by Tron.

The ground was shockingly normal, as if they'd taken the asphalt from a city from the surface and teleported it into existence back here in Gekko. And while there were roads for cars and the like, Akai could see the same lines on the buildings present on the ground and running everywhere as if the entire city was going to open up and reveal something underneath like some sort of secret nuclear bunker. However, there was also grass growing in several areas just from where Akai was standing that he could see.

Akai wasn't sure how to react to seeing people walking around and chatting normally, and the sight of children playing around with pets and each other both

It didn't look like some underground city that people had gone to in order to run from genocidal supervillains.

It looked more like an underground city inspired by Planeptune.

"…this place doesn't look like a shelter or…" Akai couldn't help but try to not laugh. "Rather, it looks more like a new city. My old world can't hold a candle to this."

"We can't just have the citizens live in a dump." Histoire II replied matter-of-factly, crossing her arms and looking at the very distant ceiling far above. "We have to think of our citizens' comfort as well as their safety. Otherwise, they will lose their faith in us."

_That sounds like a line that would come from Noire. _Akai thought to himself, his mind sharpening at the thought. He eyed Histoire's solemn look as she returned her gaze back to him.

"…that was something the Lastation CPU told me long ago." Histoire II said, smiling sadly. "I remember those words even now as we're in the midst of this chaos."

"…Histoire II, I plan on getting the Sharicite back from those CFWs and finding the new CPUs of this Gamindustri." Akai said firmly, clenching his fists. "It's a long shot, and I think we're going to have problem with your squad."

"…I support your plan, Akai." She replied, turning to face him. "…I don't think my Neptune and Nepgear would have liked to leave this world as it is now."

She averted her gaze, and she suddenly rose to wipe her eyes. "…forgive me, but just the name reminds me of the day they were…"

Akai's fist and his eyes softened, and he relaxed his shoulders. He took in a deep breath, but the air was now colder to him. "…you remember what happened?"

"…she was the only one to keep smiling, even at the end of it all." Histoire II said, a small sniffle forcing its way out. "…it was heartbreaking to watch."

_I can only imagine. _Akai thought to himself, and he pictured the scene in his head.

The very thought filled him with anger and despair.

…_and just how much worse would it have been to witness it? _

"…after we find the new CPUs, we'll have to increase their strength until they can fight on even or greater terms with the CFWs." Akai decided, nodding his head determinedly. "Then we're gonna take the surface back, and then we're gonna bust their asses down to the ground. How's that sound?"

Histoire II just smiled and nodded.

"…on another note, this place is really cool." Akai commented, turning back to admire the city displayed before him. "It doesn't look like a world crisis is looming from above."

"Don't be fooled." Histoire II replied, beginning to hover back inside the office building. "All of the citizens have received mandatory military training, first aid instruction and a number of other courses. Underestimate a single one, and you'll be the first on dead in this city."

"…I guess I can take a nap back in my room if that's the case." Akai laughed lightheartedly in reply, and he turned to follow Histoire II.

"You have your own bodyguard unit with you aside from the girls' squad." Histoire II informed him as they walked back down the hallway. "They'll monitor you on a regular basis, and you can give them orders. They report to you, but they also report to any of us Insurgents. So, if you order them to do something and they have orders from us that go against your orders, they will reach a point of conflict and then inform you of the orders they were given."

"So it's up to me to decide what course to take in those cases, huh?" Akai sighed. "Glad to see you've placed so much faith in me."

"Well, I've placed a good deal of my faith in you. That much is true." Histoire II admitted as they passed through the doors of the hallway and walked through an annex that connected to several other hallways. They walked into another one, and then they stopped at a doorway. "This is your room. Rest as you please."

"Thanks." Akai bowed gratefully, and then opened the door. "Oh, mind telling me more about the girls in the squad? I'm kind of curious about them."

"Hmm…well, I don't know much aside from the one member I trained and observed myself, Genesis." Histoire II sighed. "Well, I can tell you more about her after you rest. I can see that you need it."

"…I'll do that, then." Akai nodded in thanks. "Meet me in an hour and a half, or something."

Histoire II nodded, and Akai walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

It was a very plain room, with dull grey walls and a single bed with white sheets and no life whatsoever. Like a hospital room, but worse, since there wasn't even a TV or anything else that seemed interesting. There was a single dark brown wooden desk and a black office chair. A steel lamp that was switched off sat lifelessly on the wood, and there was a square-ish bedside desk with several drawers built into it.

_Wow, the decorative sense in this room is quite clear. _Akai thought to himself with a grin. _Well, then again, it's not like they're here for fun. _

He walked over to the blank and empty wooden desk, where there was absolutely nothing on top of it. He ran his fingers over the wood, letting the cool sensation of the furniture sooth him a bit. He crouched down next to the bedside desk and looked through the drawers, but he saw nothing at all inside any of them.

As Akai sighed and walked into the center of the cramped space, he felt it again with his eyes closed.

Like somewhere deep inside him, something was churning and turning over and over in on itself. Like an Ouroborous of invisible, indescribable force that was rotating in the depths of his soul.

_God…what's going on? Maybe if I transform…_

He let his power flow out again, and he transformed using both the power of the Sharicite and the Trojan. The armor coalesced around his body once again, like before.

And just like before, one side of his body was adorned in the armor and suit of his CPU form. And the other was arrayed with the twisted, dark armor of the Trojan. Like a dark CPU's armor, it crackled with purple lightning, especially around his palm.

Pain suddenly wracked his body in abrupt, irregularly timed waves, and Akai felt his legs immediately begin to shake and start to give way in the face of the sheer onslaught.

It literally felt like his right side was trying to tear itself free from his left side.

Like he was being torn in half.

"Argh!" He felt an especially strong surge of pain flood his body, and his knees buckled underneath at the unexpected amount of pain that coursed down through his whole being. He leaned to the side, and his body hit the wall for support. He grasped it with his hands and tried to push himself back upright.

_Is this the result of taking both the CFWs' and CPUs' power?! _Akai almost bit his lip as he tried to bear with the pain that was making him break out in a cold sweat. _I didn't realize this would happen! _

Akai opened his palm and summoned the Planeptune Katana, but he frowned when it landed in his hand.

It was twisted. Just like before.

The weapon was normal on the bottom end. The handle and the crossguard were the same: black steel with a hint of purple. But midway through the onyx-colored steel, the blade begins to change and warp into a curved blade that glinted with an imposing crimson light. It looked like a curved dagger, and it ended in a single-edged curved point much like a scimitar.

Akai threw the weapon away as another spasm of pain wracked his body, and the item dispersed into a small burst of multicolored pixels that floated upwards and disappeared.

"Akai?"

He turned to the doorway, where Aoi was standing in shock.

"What's wrong?!" Agitated, she ran right to his side and immediately began looking him more closely. "Akai, what's going on?!"

"Sorry." Akai said, ending his transformation and reverting to his normal self. He let out a sigh of relief as the powerful riptides of pain ceased assaulting his mind, and he sagged right onto Aoi's body. He slung his arm around her shoulders and leaned his weight into her body. "I shouldn't have let you see that."

"…Faith and Fear are going against each other with your body as the battlefield?" She asked simply, and Akai could tell she was piecing it together already. She just shot him a look and helped him to his feet, and she walked him over to his bed and sat him down before crossing her arms. "How do you expect to fight superbeings in that state, you hypocrite?"

"…first things first, we find the Giga-CPUs. We can worry about me later."

"Don't keep naming things. First, you call peg **II** on Histoire and the other Insurgents. The last thing we need is a name no one can take seriously." Aoi said, chuckling in spite of him and just placing his shoulder on him. She sat down on the bed next to him, her expression turning grim. "…even if we find them, no one believes in them anymore. Especially after the former CPUs were killed in front of their very eyes. You saw what Genesis was going on about."

"…that's why we need the people on our side." Akai replied, bending over and letting out a tired, pent-up breath. "We need the Faith back, one way or another. And if they won't believe in us and the CPUs as gods, then we can make do as their saviors."

"Will that really do anything for us?"

"It did in **Victory**."

"What?"

"Never mind." Akai let himself fall back down onto the bed and sighed again, his eyes locking onto the dull white ceiling above. "We need to increase the amount of Faith. It will have some sort of proportional effect on the Fear that the CFWs have already gathered. We need to observe that."

"…that reminds me," Aoi suddenly perked up, and she poked Akai in the side. "How is Judge that strong? If you managed defeat Pirachu, who should have been stronger, why is Judge such a powerhouse?"

"…it's the clones."

"The clones?" Aoi raised an eyebrow. "You mean those rampaging, mindless brutes up on the surface?"

Akai nodded. "Like it or not, those clones are actually intelligent. At the very least, to a primal, instinctual level. And Fear is something you don't need to pass the national mock exam to understand." Akai's expression darkened. "The CFWs are feeding off of the negative energy that those things are experiencing from being forced to fight one another, remember? If they've got such a big plethora of energy, they can use it for themselves."

Akai's expression suddenly brightened, and it returned to a neutral look. "Well, that's why our other primary objective will be to destroy the rest of the clones as quickly as possible."

"If they lose that power source of theirs," Aoi wondered. "Won't they have no choice but to look for another?"

"Yes. Namely, our citizens."

"Isn't that a bad idea? Unless…" Aoi just stood up and walked towards the door, and she shot an exasperated smile back at Akai. "You were planning to bait them in, weren't you?"

"If we're lucky, we'll only fight them one at a time." Akai just replied, rolling over until his head rested on the pillow. "We'll die for real if they all show up at once."

"Well, we can afford to rest for now, I guess." Aoi replied, opening the door. "I'll look around and see what the situation's like. I'll tell you later."

Akai said nothing, and he just laid down and closed his eyes as Aoi left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

**Five Hours Later…**

"Give me an update on your work, Trick."

"Ah, don't worry about my end, kekekeke~" Trick cackled back at Magic, who was walking side by side with her in the remains of a hallway in the ruined castle, his grin as fearsomely sinister as ever. He clenched his claws and patted his stomach once out of habit. "The energy we've gathered is almost enough."

"Is that so?" Magic replied, closing her eyes. "…mm, I can feel it in every fiber of my body. It will not be long before we can summon My Lady." She then turned her head to the other person accompanying them, the floating fairy of their side. "This should be enough. Right, Croire?"

"That's right!" She replied enthusiastically, zipping around and performing loop-de-loops on her tome as she spoke. "It's only a matter of time before you can see your precious Lady again."

The group walked into the remains of the room that Linda and Pirachu shared, shoving aside the rubble and the mess. Linda herself was lying down on the bed face-up as if she were bored out of her mind and waiting for something to happen.

"…where's Judge?" Magic asked immediately, placing her hands on her hips as she directed the question at Linda. "He came back with you, did he not?"

"Yeah, he's-"

The far wall, where a flat-screen TV and Pirachu's console was positioned, suddenly caved in and was blasted into bits. And in the remaining wreckage, Judge floated in the room while hefting his axe.

Linda just made an irritated click with her tongue and sat up. "I told you not to wreck the room anymore."

"I couldn't help it!" Judge, still on a high of battle, just laughed it off and swung his axe for no particular reason at another wall and just chortled when it came apart and fell to the ground in shards and fragments. "You interrupted me in the middle of my battle with the boy! After waiting for days!"

"Linda." Magic turned to the green-haired woman. "Tell me about the boy."

"…well, he's here now instead of that other dimension." Linda began, her tone still bored as she got up on her feet. "We found him along with the Insurgents outside of their fucking bomb shelter of a city."

"And?" Magic urged her to continue, her patience slowly but clearly running thin. Despite that, though, her face kept a cold smile all throughout. "What happened?"

"We engaged him in battle. A really fucking disappointing one, too." Linda replied, shrugging. "You and Croire were right. That fucking rodent of a CFW ran off while I was trying to roast his ass, and he went up and gave his powers to Akai and fucking died on me. And now, the kid's much weaker than before."

"He was aware that he wouldn't be able to defeat you, so he ran off to the one person he believed could and thought to make him stronger. That fool." Magic sneered, crossing her arms. "He never thought that giving that boy his powers would cause him to weaken severely." She turned to the fairy beside her and nodded once. "Just as you told us it would, Croire."

Croire just snickered. "Well, Faith and Fear are opposites. They can't coexist in one body, or they'll just tear each other apart. That boy won't last long."

"So? What's the plan now?" Linda asked, leaning on one of the remaining bedposts. "You're always the one making a master plan."

"We ready the summoning." Magic's eyes glinted eagerly. "It's only a matter of time before we collect enough. Those clones are still rampaging against one another, and the remaining humans left alive are all feeding us their Fear. In a few days, we can finally summon our Lady. Come with me."

"With you? Where are we going?" Linda asked in reply, skeptical as she followed Magic out of the room with Judge trailing lazily behind her.

Magic remained silent as they walked down the hallway, and no one else said anything. As they walked through the halls of the ruined castle, Linda couldn't help but look around.

They walked through hall after hall, and then down a staircase into a basement that remained strangely untouched by the rubble from the destroyed castle.

And when they reached the bottom, they were faced with a steel door that looked like it could withstand a nuke from point blank range.

Without another word, Magic walked up to the door and tore it off of its hinges effortlessly. Tossing it to the side casually, she gestured with her hand for everyone to follow her as she walked inside the unlit room that the door led to.

Everyone stepped/hovered inside, and Magic pointed in the middle of the chamber. Four pedestals were smack dab in the dead center of it all, and there were four dull, colorless crystals on each one. They sat on the pedestals, isolated in a small cube of glass.

Magic walked over to the pedestals and smashed the glass in a single motion with her hand, and then took one for herself and gestured to all of the crystals to the other CFWs. "Take one."

"Sure, but…" Linda walked forward obediently and took one for herself. "What are they? They look familiar…like I should know them somehow."

"These are the Sharicite crystals."

That response from Magic made everyone stiffen in surprise, and Linda almost dropped the one in her hand and leaped twenty feet away.

"…I thought you told us that they would disappear once the CPUs were out of the way." Judge muttered, unsure of how to feel, as he shot a glance at Magic and Croire. "You told us that Croire told you that."

"I learned about it late, as well." Magic replied, crossing her arms. "Well, they're harmless now without any Faith at all to power them."

"And?" Trick picked up one of them, eyeing it warily and then flipping it like a coin. "What do you intend to do with these, Magic?"

"We need to destroy those in order to summon forth our Lady." Magic replied, and her gaze hardened. "We only need a little bit more of Fear. In order to gain everything we need in a single strike, we will destroy these and broadcast that to the remaining living scum on this world." She nodded as she said that, an evil smirk appearing on her face. "That will make the humans cower and give us the rest of the Fear we need."

"So we just destroy these in front of the world, and we're set?" Judge took a crystal in hand and then clenched his fingers over it. "Sounds easy enough."

"The impact of this kind of thing will work best if you take it back to where it came from." Croire suddenly spoke up, and she floated just above around Magic's head. "If you take each piece of Sharicite back to its original Nation…well, if you go there now, it's just a destroyed city. But destroying it has more impact on the people if you do it there."

"…I see." Linda muttered, tossing hers into the air and grabbing it again, and then repeating the process over and over idly. "Make it some sort of irony or make it dramatic, I guess."

"Then it's settled. I give you each one crystal." Magic said decidedly, and she started walking for the exit. "We'll perform the ritual soon. I'll call you when it's ready."

"YES, I CAN GO BACK TO PLAYTIME!" Judge suddenly let out an overeager, bloodcurdling scream of enthusiasm and rushed out of the vault, and he was gone in an instant. Trick left quite calmly in comparison, walking out quickly without a word.

Linda just sighed and placed the piece of Sharicite in her pocket, and she walked out of the vault.


	31. Chapter 28: The Courage to Step Forward

**Chapter 28: The Courage to Step Forward**

The sound of distant gunfire tore Akai abruptly out of his sleep, enough to send him rolling around in surprise and falling onto the floor and hitting his shoulder directly on the ground. Quickly getting to his feet, Akai rubbed his shoulder as if to soothe the pain as he rushed out of the door.

_What the hell?! Are we being attacked?! _

Akai rushed down the hallway like his life were being hung on the scales of God at the very end of it, and he quickly found himself slamming the doors of the building open and staring out at the city.

_The sound is coming from…there! _Akai turned his gaze to the right, where he could hear the closer yet still distant constant ring of gunfire. Akai gritted his teeth in preparation when a sudden rumble of the ground and the boom of explosions only raised his suspicions further.

He broke into a run, running along the path that led in the direction of the sound. As his feet pounded onto the pavement, he realized that there was smoke that was wavering towards the distant ceiling wafting from an extremely large building that was not too far away.

From his point of view, it was a massive building that could be compared easily to a building that a worldwide business would hold office. It was extremely wide, as if it were a roman gladiator coliseum given modern form. With dark blue colors all around the structure that looked like it was made from clean asphalt, it didn't look like a building that belonged in the middle of an apocalypse.

It looked like an arena from the outside, at the very least.

_What the hell is going on?! _Akai thought to himself, bewildered as he looked around. There were very few civilians out and about, but they were not worried at all. Rather, they were so calm and casual it was almost disturbing. He could even see a single woman walking her dog like nothing was happening.

Akai ran faster and faster, thinking to engage his transformation and fly over the building. But thinking of better of it as he neared the wall of the structure, he decided to just run through it.

It didn't take him long to find the source of the noise.

He was standing in the observatory wing of what appeared to be an enormous firing range and training clearing. Soldiers wearing black uniforms with grey camouflage were everywhere, firing their guns at targets lined up in a row. Other soldiers were practicing their hand-to-hand combat against one another, and Akai couldn't help but be impressed at the level of skill he was witnessing.

And yet other soldiers were throwing grenades and other different kinds of explosives that detonated with varying levels of strength. He could see a bundle of explosives that, when ignited and thrown, created such a powerful explosion that the entire arena was rocked for a bit. He felt a little wind fly into his eyes that forced him to blink.

But what threw him off and impressed him the most were the weapons that some soldiers were firing at the dummies. As if they'd been taken straight from a sci-fi movie, various colors of lasers flew through the air and struck their targets and left smoking, blackened craters.

_This is crazy. _Akai thought to himself, admiring the view with a begrudging smile. _But then again, this is a time of war. I guess it wouldn't be strange to see this happening all the time. No wonder the civilians weren't freaking out. _

As he watched the men go at it, he felt a strange feeling creep over him. At the same time, a growing realization made its way to his mind when he thought back to the words that Genesis had said to him.

…_with the way things are now, I don't know if I can depend on my powers anymore. _He thought uneasily to himself, looking down at his palm and clenching it. _I have to grow stronger._

…_I might as well get started now. _

He suddenly heard footsteps nearby, and he turned to see a group of soldiers walking in formation. As they neared him, Akai turned and called out to one of them. "Excuse me!"

The soldiers stopped, and one of them walked forward to answer him. "Yes? Is there something you-oh, it's you!"

Immediately, all of the soldiers walked forward and formed a line in front of Akai with the soldier who'd stepped forward first at the left end of the line. "Good evening, sir Akai! We are your bodyguard unit!"

…_oh, right. Histoire II said something like that at some point. _

"…well, perfect." Akai replied, smiling openly. He then pointed to the scene of controlled chaos behind him. "I can tell what's going on here, but who's in charge of this? I kinda wanna see them."

"Oh, the supervisors are Commanding Officer Sunny and Commanding Officer Mittsu."

"…mind taking me to see them?"

"No problems, sir. This way."

As Akai was led through the observatory section, he couldn't help but admire the men he could see practicing in the training grounds. He could see several his own age holding their own and even winning against those who looked like experienced veterans.

"There. You can see them from here." The soldier that had spoken to him earlier said, pointing towards another section of the training grounds that was farther off.

As Akai walked forward to see, he couldn't help but whistle at what he saw.

Beyond what appeared to be a crowd of soldiers that were doing nothing save for staring in awe at Dihez and Veeta going at it with nothing but a pair of standard-issue pistols. Dihez pointed one gun right at Veeta's face, and the two were so close that the barrel was practically touching the tip of her nose.

But when Dihez pulled the trigger, Veeta punched her arm to the side. The bullet sailed past her body, grazing her earlobe before striking the floor. Veeta then ducked and slid to the side, raising her gun to fire directly onto Dihez's flank. But before the firearm could be triggered, Dihez slapped the barrel away with her own hand before it discharged, and the bullet sailed harmlessly into the sky.

"…what are they doing?" Akai asked, left entranced by their deadly dance. Each time a gun fired, only to be turned away or stopped somehow, it sent a thrill through his body. "It looks intense."

"This is the kind of training that only the Commanding Officers undergo." The soldier next to him said, laughing bitterly. "I hear it was suggested by one of the four Commanding Officers, and the Insurgents approved of it as the final landmark in training. They call it the Bullet Ballet." The soldier then shrugged, laughing bitterly. "It looks amazing, but it's actually really hellish. Every other soldier they've trained with had to quit after the first day. It's just superhuman."

"You sound like you've got experience there." Akai joked, grinning.

"Yes. I was put on medical leave for two weeks after being partnered up with Commanding Officer Veeta."

"Sounds rough."

"Well, Commanding Officer Genesis' advanced medical tech made my stay two weeks instead of ten years."

"What the hell did they do to you during that training?"

"Don't ask." The man then pointed. "Oh, they're just about to finish up."

Akai returned his gaze to the fight, where the soldier spoke the truth.

The fight had already escalated, and Akai was amazed to see Dihez tossing explosives and detonating them in midair by shooting them in order to throw Veeta off while Veeta was replying with quick throws of hidden knives that embedded themselves to the hilt in the ground and the walls.

Veeta and Dihez finally ended the battle, both of them firing a bullet from each of their guns that shattered each other's barrels after which they finally loosened up and relaxed.

"That's crazy." Akai couldn't help but mutter admiringly.

But the torrent of thoughts came into his head.

…_everyone here had to watch the CPUs get murdered one by one in front of them. _

Akai felt a strange gloom hang over his head when the thought came into his head.

…_they've all decided to become stronger when they saw that their goddesses were killed in front of their eyes. _

_When God cannot grant your wish, you have to take that wish and grant it yourself, I guess. _

Walking over to the window of the observatory section, Akai placed his foot on the ledge and leaped out, much to the protests of his newly discovered bodyguards. He landed directly in the training field, shocking the observing soldiers into silence.

"Whoa, it's the boy!" Veeta immediately dashed cheerily over to Akai, waving as she did and smacking him familiarly on her back. "Hey, didn't see you there!"

"Hi, Veeta." Akai greeted, trying to remove himself from the arm belonging to Veeta that was now slung around his shoulder. He felt the strength of the arm crushing his back and his shoulders like a garbage compressor would a basketball. "Um, pardon me, but could you just remove your arm?"

"Oh, sorry." She replied, laughing as she took her arm off of Akai's shoulders. "I'm still a little worked up from just now."

"No, it's okay." Akai sighed, and he just rolled his shoulders as he looked at her and Dihez. "I was just surprised by all the noise that was going on."

"That's weird." Veeta said, tilting her head and crossing her arms. "They shouldn't be bothering you that much, should it?"

"Everyone here has gotten used to it." Dihez answered, turning her gaze to Akai. "It'd be best if you did the same."

"…I guess." After putting some thought to it, Akai decided to turn and begin walking back. "Time for me to get started."

He left through the exit of the training grounds, which was a massive opening with an archway of thick, grey concrete. Trudging forward eventually brought him out of the building, and he was back on the path back to his room.

The walk felt like forever, like it had taken centuries before he'd managed to reach his room. Akai just let the door swing open once he was inside, and he closed it behind him half-asleep before collapsing onto the bed, exhausted.

* * *

**The Next Morning…**

"…are you really serious about this, Lady Histoire?"

Histoire II looked away from her files and reports, seeing Genesis standing in the entrance to her right. The purple haired woman stared at the Insurgent imposingly, her arms crossed over her chest with a face that looked like she was cross.

"Do come in, Genesis. Tell me more of what you speak of."

Genesis walked inside, closing the door behind her and standing across Histoire II from the desk.

"I'm talking about that boy that you've been relying on. Akai." Genesis replied, her tone getting harder. "I don't believe that you brought someone like him to help us."

"…one man is better than none, right?" Histoire II replied. "He has power that we need. He is-"

"With all due respect, Lady Histoire, he is not what we need." Genesis cut her off, her gaze on Histoire II hardening. "We need soldiers. People who can strike the CFWs down from their place. Not someone who believes in phantoms that don't exist anymo-"

"Genesis."

Histoire II's eyes grew sharp, and she turned her full attention to Genevieve. The sudden shift in atmosphere made even the purple haired woman hesitate. "…I am aware of how you feel. And I respect that, for this is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves."

Histoire II then floated back upwards to Genesis' eye level and focused her intent gaze on her. "But let me remind you that everyone here, including you, have a reason that keeps us from becoming part of ASIC. We all believe in the CPUs, one way or another, and that includes you. You and I know them better than anyone else."

Genesis said nothing, but her gaze looked like it was trying hard to maintain itself. It seemed unstable, like it was shaking and wavering unsteadily.

Histoire II just let out a sigh and looked away. "…you know her better than even I do, Genevieve. I cannot understand what would cause you to lose your faith-"

Genevieve slapped the table in front of her abruptly, cutting Histoire II off once again. Her eyes were now shaking, tainted with a mix of emotion. "…being an Insurgent doesn't mean you can say whatever you want, Lady Histoire."

The former Oracle closed her eyes, her voice becoming solemner. "…I apologize for overstepping my bounds."

"I do not believe that Akai is the answer we're looking for." Genesis said, her tone growing harsher. "We can accomplish this on our own, Lady Histoire. We do not need that kind of power anymore. It failed us once, and I will not let our hard work go squandered only to see it fail again."

Histoire II just gave Genesis a pained look. "…does your faith lack that much, Genesis? That you would no longer believe?"

"…we don't need believe, Lady Histoire." Genesis replied, sighing. "We only need to win."

And with that, despite Histoire II's attempt to protest further, Genesis strode out of the room and left.

…_what a handful, she is. _The Insurgent thought to herself, letting out a pent-up sigh as she relaxed and leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes once again and trying to let the tension flow out from her body.

"What's her deal?"

She opened her eyes to see Akai standing in the doorway. She took in a breath, as if she were preparing herself for something. "…she has issues regarding your methods."

"What's the problem?" Akai asked, walking inside the office and closing the door behind him. "Aren't my powers what you've been looking for? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"…yes, but…" Histoire II looked away, her eyes shining with what looked to Akai like a mix of guilt and insecurity. "In truth, I wonder now if my decision was the right one."

"Why?"

"…as you can see, Genesis has her own qualms about the power of the CPUs. She does not seem to believe that their power can do anything for us anymore." Histoire II's eyes seemed to glint with a hint of pride. "She's insistent that she grows strong enough to defeat the CFWs on her own."

"…doesn't that make it hard for teamwork, if her personality's like that?"

"The other four Commanding Officers share a similar sentiment to hers." Histoire II spoke as she got back to work, continuing the conversation while scanning documents and reports. "They all have their reasons to fight. It's driven them to become our best."

"Is that so?" Akai nodded out of begrudging respect. "Must be a hell of a reason if it's gotten them this far."

"…yes, they are very empowering reasons." Histoire II admitted, now completely focused on her work. "But nonetheless, you're here with them now." Her head rose and her eyes met Akai's. "I am firm in my beliefs. The CPUs will return one day, and we must hold on and survive until the day we can prosper together. And until then, I will remain strong."

Akai felt a smile spread onto his face when he saw the burning fire in Histoire II's eyes. "But I cannot make that happen without Genesis. And I cannot make that happen without you."

"Are you proposing to me?"

"Please be serious, Akai."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Akai crossed his arms, his voice only getting more serious by a fraction.

"You are the only one left with any hope of restoring the people's Faith." Histoire II said, her tone suddenly gaining a hint of hopefulness. "Not even we, the former Oracles, can do anything anymore. All we can do is protect the people as best we can."

"You do a pretty damn good job of it."

Histoire II shrugged. "If we do nothing except shield ourselves from the enemy, we will accomplish nothing. And one day, the CFWs will tire of us. They will launch a full-frontal assault and exterminate us all."

"I thought that their summoning Arfoire was the bigger issue."

"If we can't fight back against Magic and the others, we won't even stand a snowball's chance in hell against Arfoire herself. You're aware of this."

"…so?" Akai sighed. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"…we need to defeat the CFWs and destroy ASIC." Histoire II finally spoke decisively, as if she had finally found her resolve. She turned to Akai. "I brought you here to help us win, as you are the only one capable of fighting the CFWs toe to toe."

"What happened to the Commanding Officers? They're the Insurgency's Strongest, aren't they?"

"They have to team up in order to have a decent chance of fighting a single CFW. One on one, they are not yet strong enough." Histoire II said matter-of-factly. "They are only human. They can only go so far. But you, Akai…you have brought power with you."

"Still won't do much help. I am not nearly as skilled as your top four, Histy II."

"…isn't there anything you can do about that name? I would rather be called something else?"

"…think of one, and then tell me about it."

Histoire II let out a tired sigh. She began scanning through more documents. "…by the way, why are you here? Is there something you initially needed from me, or did you come here for the sake of eavesdropping?"

"Actually, I got lost."

She literally stopped what she was doing and shot look Akai a look of disbelief. "…excuse me?"

Akai let out a laugh and raised his hands in defeat. "Do you have a map of the place? The only room I know here is my room, on the ground floor."

The former Oracle tilted her head in reply. "…your room is not on the ground floor. What are you talking about?"

"…what do you mean that it's not on the ground floor?" Akai replied, baffled.

"Didn't Genesis tell you where your room is?"

"She led me to that room."

"What does the room look like?"

"Uh…a small room with a single bed and a desk."

"…that's not your room. That's the janitor's room."

"Huh?"

* * *

"…I admit I'm worried for him, but I have yet to forgive him for trampling upon my pride."

"Don't be like that, Vert! I'll smoosh your boobs if you act tsundere!"

"Hey! Why aren't you smooshing Noire's boobs instead?! Get away from mine!"

"Don't drag me into your little conversation." Noire muttered, irritated, as she glanced away from the two that were arguing in the living room. Noire walked out of the kitchen, sipping on a milkshake. "Hey, this is pretty good."

"Let me see." Blanc walked over to her, taking the glass from Noire's hand and sipping the rim of the glass. She let out a sound of delight, her eyes widening. "This isn't something you would normally find in Neptune's refrigerator. And no way did she make this."

"Akai's milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard, damn right!"

"Hey, get off me!"

"Ignoring the two idiots over there," Noire took the glass back. "Akai made this, too? For all the years you've been alive, you could stand to learn how to make your own drinks."

"No thanks!"

"Quick to refuse, aren't you?" Blanc chuckled, and she sighed as she sat down onto the couch and shot a look at Neptune. "I think it's a skill you ought to have learned by now, considering how long you've been alive. Cooking, that is."

"Nah, Nep. Jr can take care of that for me!" Neptune replied, taking her face out of Vert's bosom and running over to the fridge and snatching a glass of iced tea that she'd been chilling and sipping it thirstily.

"…what happened to caring about Akai?" Noire asked, crossing her arms.

"…oh." Neptune tilted her head at Noire, grinning cheekily. "So you **are **worried about him."

"…not like I can't be." Noire replied. "He's up against Magic and the others. And he's used **our **Sharicite to power himself up! What if he goes off and does something stupid, and my nation suffers for it?"

"If you're so worried about him, then why not figure out a way to go after him?"

Blanc turned to the doorway, her eyes narrowing at the source of the voice. "…IF."

The brunette stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip, her eyes locked onto everyone in the room. "…why are you in Akai's room?"

"We're here because Neptune wants to stay here." Vert replied, sighing. "In fact, why are you asking us the question like we're criminals? This isn't your room."

IF shrugged. "I live here too, remember?"

"…are you planning on following him?" Blanc asked IF, placing her hand onto the kitchen countertop. "You're far more concerned about his well-being than we are."

"I would." IF replied, walking into the room with a heavy sigh and flopping onto the couch across from Vert. "But at the same time, I don't know if doing so would get me killed."

"…we cannot go." Vert replied, sighing. "We have nations to protect and govern. Especially I, who has not a single Candidate to look out for me in my absence." She narrowed her eyes at IF. "But you have the freedom to go and do as you please."

"…I want to see him." IF muttered, her eyes on the floor. "I want to know if he's alright…but I don't want to get myself killed just because I made a mistake. That would be bad for me and bad for him."

"…then go." Neptune poked IF on the head, and the brunette looked back up at her to see the CPU holding out a bag of potato chips. "Just go and come back safe. But first, have a chip. They're cheesy and good."

IF smiled and patted her on the head, standing up. "Thanks."

…_I'll go talk to Histoire. And I'll tell her to take me there. _

And with that, IF walked out of the room as quickly as her legs would take her.

"…what, you don't like cheese?!"

Neptune's cry went unheeded.


	32. Chapter 29: Emerging Darkness

**Chapter 29: Emerging Darkness**

"I know you don't like him, Genevieve, but did you have to so far as neglecting to tell him which room he lives in? No wonder he woke up last night."

Genesis just shot a glare at Veeta, who squealed in response and hid behind Aoi, who was sitting in the chair next to her and eating her breakfast. "Aoi, help me~! Genesis is gonna beat me up and eat me!"

"I'm not gonna do that, so hurry up and finish your food!"

Aoi just sighed and laughed, sticking a piece of her food into her mouth.

…_the food around here is surprisingly bland…_

The Four Commanding Officers and Aoi were all sitting around a table in the cafeteria, a very large room with grey tables and grey chairs like some sort of corporate lunch room expanded by a madman. Many recruits were sitting at their own tables, quickly bulldozing through their food. Soldiers of varying ages came and went through the double doors of the cafeteria, hurrying to get to their patrol and training.

"…this food doesn't taste very good, does it?" Jeanne suddenly spoke, smiling at Aoi from across the table and gesturing to the plate of food. The blonde leaned forward and spoke in a lower tone. "In truth, it would be so much easier if I could take over for the lunch lady instead."

"Yeah. You make some crazy good food." Veeta agreed loudly, grinning. She took a spoonful of her rice meal and stuffed it into her mouth, downing it in a single gulp. "I'd rather eat your cooking than the lunch lady's food any day!"

"Don't offend the lunch lady. He can hear you." Dihez interrupted, pointing at the side of the room where all of the food was lined up. Behind the counter was one recruit, a large bald man wearing a frilly pink apron.

"…**he** is wearing a frilly apron." Veeta remarked, unsure whether to laugh or run.

"…why are you here with us, anyway?" Genesis suddenly asked, her question pointed harshly at Aoi. Her intimidating glare made Aoi freeze for an instant under its influence, and it made her inch a quarter of an inch in the opposite direction.

"I think you should have asked that question last night. Earlier would have been a fine time to do that as well." Veeta replied, giggling. "She's part of the team now, remember? We need to stick together."

"Even if Lady Histoire and the other Oracles think of you as an asset, I still don't quite believe in the idea." The purple-and-blonde haired woman replied, crossing her arms and glaring intimidatingly at Aoi. "Every way I see it, you're just a tag-along for that boy, and I don't care much for him either."

"You sure know how to be direct." Aoi replied curtly, laughing as she neatly arranged her utensils on her finished plate.

"Don't be mean to her, Genny." Jeanne cut in. Jeanne stood up, walked to the other side of the table and patted Aoi on the back. "She just hasn't shown us her strengths yet. If she's following Akai, whose ability can fend off Judge, then she's definitely formidable as well."

"…I'll need to see it before anything else." Genesis replied, standing up from her seat and walking towards the exit. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to be performing some maintenance on the weapons for the defenses." With that, she walked out of the room.

"…man, she just can't be nice." Veeta groaned, taking an apple from Jeanne's plate and taking a large bite out of it. She winked at Aoi. "Don't worry, she'll get warm up to you eventually. It just takes time with her."

"True." Jeanne replied, chuckling with a hand covering her mouth. "It took quite a while for her to even begin talking to us casually." She then let out what sounded like a despairing sigh and leaned her face onto her palm. "Even now, she can be stubborn."

"I see…" Aoi replied. She glanced to the side, where Dihez was simply eating her food quietly. Feeling the urge to make some small talk, Aoi opened her mouth. "…isn't it hot in that thing?" Aoi then gestured to the large vest that she was wearing.

Not saying a word, Dihez simply shook her head and then finished her food quickly.

"…anyway, I need to find Akai and tell him where his real room is." Aoi said, standing up. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

She quickly ran out of the cafeteria room, leaving the other three Commanding Officers by themselves.

"So, what's your sched for today, Jeanne?" Veeta asked, stretching her arms towards the sky as if she'd just woken up and letting out a groan. "I've gotta go out on the Front Lines and stuff. We've got Ops to get some supplies from some of the Lastation cities. Since Pirachu and Linda went and ended up taking out the rest of the clones, we're free to pillage as we please!" She let out a cry of giddiness and clenched her fists. "Maybe I'll even get the opportunity to pound the living shit out of any rotten CFWs!"

"I have to oversee the training of some of the recruits, and see if any of them can join one of our units." Jeanne replied, sighing and sinking her forehead into the table. "Y'know…boring stuff. I will get to my part-time job later, though, and I'm gonna visit the kids before heading back to my room."

"Is that so? You've got a tight one today, huh?" Veeta smiled, patting Jeanne on the shoulder. "And you, Dihez?" Veeta stood up from her seat and shot a glance at the brown-haired girl still seated. "Watcha doin?"

"…I'm keeping watch." She replied quietly. "I'm going to the surveillance center after this."

"…say, why does Genesis seem to hate that guy?" Veeta asked, raising both of her hands in a gesture of helplessness. "We've only known him for a day, and we haven't even talked that much."

"Hmm…" Jeanne placed her finger to her cheek and put on a face like she was trying to think about it. "Maybe it has something to do with something that happened to her before."

"Hn~ I see…" Veeta turned around and dashed towards the exit, waving her hands energetically. "Well, I gotta go out! See you later!"

"…she's full of energy, isn't she?" Jeanne smiled endearingly as she watched Veeta leave, much to the looks of bewilderment and admiration from the rest of the soldiers in the cafeteria. "It's so refreshing to see someone like her even in a time like this."

"…she's only like that whenever she gets to go outside."

Dihez stood up and slowly walked towards the exit, passing by Jeanne. "…I will trust with her with my life. That's what's required of us as the CFW Elimination Squad. But someone like that, who can looks so happy about the opportunity to kill anyone, is dangerous."

The brown-haired girl said nothing else as she departed, leaving the blonde alone at the table with those ominous words.

…_I should get going as well. _She thought, standing up from her seat.

"Whoo, I like this place!" Akai let out a whistle of appreciation when Histoire II opened the door in front of him.

The room was large, much larger than the other room he'd been led to by Genesis. It was still quite blank and grey, a trait it shared with the janitor's room. But it was far more spacious, enough to fit a circle of five on the floor, and it had a larger bed and a wooden desk. The furniture looked far older than the room, like it had been taken from an antique shop and refurbished.

There was also a balcony with a sliding door of glass that overlooked Gekko, much like his room back in the Planeptune Basilicom. Well, the city wasn't that much of a sight.

"This is where you were supposed to stay for the time being." Histoire II replied, letting out a sigh of what seemed like irritated disappointment. She hovered right in the entranceway as she spoke. "I apologize for Genesis' behavior. I'll be sure to scold her later."

"Well…that aside…" Akai's chuckles gave way to a more serious mood, and his fists clenched. "…have you learned anything about what those CFWs are doing?"

"Our scouts are still in the field with Veeta. We have yet to receive reports regarding their actions." Histoire II replied, shaking her head. "Her unit will report whatever they find as soon as they do find it. In the meantime, I think you should prepare yourself for anything that might happen." She then began floating back down the hallway. "I have reports to look over and a city to look after. I will be on my way."

Akai watched her leave in silence, closing the door quietly after she'd left. The instant he closed it, however, he suddenly felt the doorknob spin open in his hand. The door swung open, and the very edge of the door struck his foot.

A pain unlike anything God could come up with.

"Akai, are you…" Aoi poked her head through the opening she'd made in the doorway to see Akai on the floor and clutching at her foot. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to see if my toes are broken."

"What?"

**Five Minutes Later…**

"Sorry about that." Aoi muttered apologetically, her gaze lingering on Akai's foot. She was sitting on the bed across from Akai.

"It's alright, it's alright." Akai laughed, massaging his toes. He took his hand off of his foot and leaned back onto the chair that had been provided for him in the room, his gaze hardening as he shot a look down at the floor.

Aoi sensed the change in mood, and she focused her gaze on Akai. "What's the matter?"

"…yesterday, I visited the training grounds." He began, and he shot a glance outside the window where he could see the taller buildings of Gekko looming over the city below. "When I saw them all there, it hit me. The fact that I can't just rely on my powers anymore. Especially now that they're fucking up on me."

"…those powers are the reason you were called here, though." Aoi replied doubtfully. "…those powers are the reason I'm here with you."

"…I know that." He took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "…Aoi, I may have the powers of a CPU, but I'm stuck in a place where people don't believe in them anymore. And to make matters worse, I can even tell that bringing any of them back won't change anything. The faith hasn't been lost. It's been shattered."

"What happened to your confidence?" Aoi asked him suddenly, her chin resting on her hands. "You seemed so prepared to beat the world and take the trophy back home, but now you're a piping hot mess."

"…I've realized that I have a real chance of losing." Akai muttered, fixing his gaze on Aoi. In his mind, the image of the soldiers at the training ground from the previous night appeared once more. "And there are people here who don't even like the way I do things. They would rather take care of their problems the way they see they should. And even if I hadn't come here, they would have done the same."

"…you're more insecure than I remember you to be, Akai." Aoi smiled apprehensively, unsure of what else to say. "Back in Hyperdimension, you were always relaxed and level-headed. You handled everything pretty well."

"Blame that on the fact I've done so much back on Earth." Akai replied, laughing bitterly. "Being Student Council President and being part of a ton of sports make it hard for me to be surprised by anything anymore. Add my love of anime and games to that mix, and I'm a one-in-a-million freak."

"You're not a freak." Aoi replied, sighing. "You're just-"

"…um…"

Akai and Aoi turned to the door where a third voice suddenly spoke up. Aoi raised her hands in preparation, preparing her staff with lightning crackling at the tip while Akai clenched his fists in a fighting stance.

"Whoa, whoa!" The man standing in the door was wearing military fatigues. He raised his hands up in surrender as all eyes were on him.

Akai immediately relaxed when he realized that the person was the man he'd seen the previous night. "Oh. You're…my bodyguard, right? Um…"

"Just call me James." He replied, lowering his own hands and letting out a breath. He pointed to the doorway behind him, saying "Uh, Commanding Officer Dihez wished for me to call you right away. Please follow me."

Akai and Aoi were led down a series of stairs, down to the floor that Aoi recognized where Genesis' workshop and office was.

"Really?" Akai smiled. "How is that workshop of hers?"

"Cluttered, unlike how she comes off." Aoi replied, tilting her head as she tried her best to remember the room she'd seen. "There was a lot of papers and a lot of tools, plus mechanical stuff and parts I'd never seen before."

"She's a real work machine, huh? Her character reminds me a bit of Noire's." Akai admitted, sighing. "She's much harsher, though. Not a cute bone in her body."

"This way." James stopped abruptly in his tracks, forcing the other two to bump into one another since they were walking in a line. He stepped to the side and turned around, gesturing to the door in front of them at the end of the hallway.

"…now that I think about it, this place doesn't look like a building for a population trying to hold their own against a bunch of superpowered villains." Akai muttered, glancing down the hallways. "More like…some sort of drab everyday office."

The hallways, ceilings and the floor were all a depressing grey color that slowed the brain just by looking at it. With no wall decorations and the smell of nothing but paper and gunpowder residue running through the air, it felt more like an assassination organization or a business conglomerate than Gamindustri.

"I know what you mean." James muttered, laughing. "This place is so dull-looking that you wouldn't imagine that the Insurgency's best live here."

"Oh. The Commanding Officers live here?" Akai asked in reply, surprised.

"Yeah, I was assigned to a dorm on the same floor as them." Aoi replied for James, turning around to face Akai. "You spent a night on the ground floor, so you wouldn't know."

"Don't remind me of that. I still want to give Genesis a piece of mind for that."

"Anyway, this is the Information Control room and the room that Commanding Officer Dihez primarily stays in." James walked to the side of the doorway and leaned onto the wall next to the entrance, drawing his pistol and loading the magazine. "I wasn't instructed to go inside with you, so I will remain out here."

"Sure." Akai nodded, and he walked in alongside Aoi.

"Holy crap, this place is just filled with everything it needs, huh?" Aoi muttered, her breath escaping her lips.

The room was very cramped and claustrophobic. Monitors and screen functioned as three out of the four walls of the room, the fourth holding the door. An innumerable amount of computers were in front of them, flashing various different parameters, meters, charts as well as displays of what was above ground. The two could see several spots within the city of Gekko as well as some of Planeptune and the other nations.

The final few screens were fuzzy and half-filed with static, and they displayed nothing but rubble and smashed marble.

"…what's that?" Aoi wondered, walking forward towards the monitors that showed rubble. She walked forward towards the lone office chair that was facing the monitors and placed her hands on the top of the headrest.

The chair suddenly turned around, making Aoi yelp in surprise and take a step back. Dihez sat in the chair, her expression as flat as it usually was.

"Oh. Hi." Akai raised a hand as he greeted her nonchalantly. "You…uh, called us?"

She nodded and then turned back around. Her hands immediately got to work, typing at a speed almost inhuman. Immediately, several of the screens showed a moving helicopter shot.

And on the screen, they could see Veeta and her squad fighting Linda.

"Holy shit, Linda." Akai muttered, narrowing her eyes. "I thought we'd seen the last of her for a bit."

"…they have nothing to do." Dihez replied. "They've killed most of the other citizens above ground when Linda and Pirachu had their war, and the only other people to kill are their own soldiers. If they spot us, they will get the chance to kill us."

"What's she even doing out there?" Akai asked, mystified. "Aren't we all going to stay inside Gekko first?"

"Veeta's group was assigned a task to find food supplies from the remains of the cities as well as hunt down wildlife." Dihez informed him, her eyes locked on the monitor where they could all see Veeta dodging and dodging Linda's blows by hairsbreadths. "She's normally assigned to do this."

"I see." Akai's fists balled. "So, did you call us here for this?"

"Yes." Dihez turned to him and looked him in the eye. "By standard protocol, we are not to send units from any division unless the Insurgents decide otherwise. But I would prefer it if we did not lose a Commanding Officer at this crucial period in time, so I would like you to go and assist her."

"I see. Got it, give me the directions." Akai replied, nodding. A questions suddenly came to his mind, and he shot the brunette a curious look. "By the way, why are you even here in this room? Aren't you the Explosives girl or something?"

"…I handle outward intelligence gathering as well." She replied flatly, handing him a small earpiece. "I will tell you where to go using that earpiece, so please put it on and depart for the prescribed route to Lastation."

"Okay…" Akai placed the earpiece into his ear before realizing something crucial. "…uh, where's this prescribed route you speak of?"

"James will show you the way as long as you ask." Dihez turned back and focused on the monitors, typing away on the keyboard with energy and speed unmatched. "Please hurry. I would like to avoid Veeta's death as much as possible."

"Gotcha." He said, and he sprinted out the doorway with Aoi behind him. He quickly drifted to a stop right in front of his bodyguard, and he grabbed him by the shoulders. "James, you know how to get to Lastation, right?"

"Uh, sure." He nodded, unsure what to say with Akai all up in his face. "DO we need to do something there?"

"Yes, we need to save a life."

"…what?"

"Never mind, come with me." Akai gritted his teeth as he let his power flow again, and he transformed. He tried not to summon forth the Trojan's power flow out as well, but he felt the familiar pain send shockwaves through his skin yet again. He grabbed James by the underarms and began to float, and then looked at Aoi. "Quick, hop on."

"No need." She replied, and she waved her hand. Instantly, as her magic staff materialized, a blanket of wind suddenly formed and carried her up. "I can follow just fine."

"Magic's such a cheat, isn't it?" Akai commented, grinning. He turned his attention back to James, ignoring the pain brought on by the Trojan. "Be sure to guide me to the spot, okay? I have no idea where to go in this place."

"Affirmative, Sir." James replied, nodding.

"Damn!" Veeta cursed as she cartwheeled just in time to evade a spine-breaking blow that leveled the ground so powerfully she felt sorry for the dirt. She righted herself back up and shot a few crossbow bolts, all of which were ineffective.

Linda sneered, catching the last one and snapping it in between her fingers before dashing towards her and swinging her mace again. "Taste this!" She cried out, hungry for blood, as the spiked club pulverized the ground.

_Just when we had a great haul! _Veeta thought to herself, casting a worried glance at their spoils.

They'd been caught in the very outskirts of the rubble of a ruined Lastation city, and the other soldiers who'd managed to find a decent hiding spot nearby in the rubble were keeping their presence down to the level of invisibility.

"Commanding Officer! I can't contact the city!" One of the soldiers shouted in panic over the comms. "We're too far! We're cut off!"

The Commanding Officer tsked, and then ducked to evade another attack that left behind such a powerful wind that she was blown back a meter. She fired another crossbow bolt and watched in frustration as it bounced off of the CFW's armor. _I can only buy time. _

_I can't kill this son of a bitch! _

"You're no fun!" Linda shouted, and she raised her hand up in Veeta's direction. Instantly, a massive sphere of dark red energy formed in her hand and fired at Veeta. "Try harder!"

Veeta bit her lip accidentally as she rolled, and the energy attack vaporized the spot she'd been standing in. Veeta put her crossbows back into their holsters and then dashed forward, straight at Linda.

"You don't stand a chance against me in close combat, you idiot!" The CFW raged with glee, and she decided to just run directly back at Veeta.

The green haired tyrant swung her mace again, but Veeta slid under the blow and then jumped up with the momentum of the motion and landed a solid uppercut to Linda's unarmored chin. "Not directly, anyway." Veeta muttered before she quickly got to her feet and pulled away to evade Linda's blind swipe.

"…I'm gonna tear you in half!" Linda growled, her eyes clearly firing off a glare coupled with a battle-ready grin. She held out her other hand, and her baton appeared in a flash of dark energy, and she smashed both into the ground in a show of intimidating strength. "You're just a weak piece of trash that can't do shit against someone like me! Give it up and let me smash you!"

"…I'm not weak like you think I am."

Linda felt a strange chill go down her spine as she heard the Officer say those words, and she took a step back. Veeta had completely changed from the person she was mere minutes ago. A very thick murderous aura had begun to pour out from her body, one that even Linda in her destructive rampage could not ignore. Like a vapor with the same thickness as factory smog, it was quickly permeating the air with its dangerous aura.

Without a warning, Veeta suddenly dashed at Linda so quickly that the CFW barely had time to blink and delivered a kick to Linda's head that struck home and sent the green-haired woman back a few feet.

_So, she's not all bark. _Linda smiled and gripped his mace. _Maybe she can entertain me. _

But before the fight could continue, a sudden object too fast to see properly smashed into the ground in between them and sent a cloud of dust and rock dust flying and obscuring Linda's vision of her opponent.

_More enemies? Well, it's not like they sent someone that's a threat. _Linda just wiped her eyes and waited for the dust to settle. _I can just have some fun and…!_

Standing in front of her was Akai and Aoi, both of them with weapons at the ready.

"Oh, you." Linda cracked her knuckles. _I stand corrected. _She thought. _Looks like I'll have to let loose a bit…maybe. _

"Yeah, me." Akai replied, raising the Planeptune Katana up. "Sorry it's been a while. I had some shit to do."

"If you really want to apologize, then make this interesting for me. I've been bored as hell!" Linda grinned, and the two ran at each other and locked weapons fiercely. The resulting shockwave made the entire battlefield for a half a mile around them shake with unbridled force that made the hiding soldiers tremble in anxiousness.

Aoi ran over to Veeta as Akai did his best to keep Linda occupied and focused on him and him alone. Aoi stopped in front of Veeta, panting. "Veeta, we came to help you guys out!"

"…" Veeta's expression was dark and imposing, surprising Aoi with the sheer difference of character. She said nothing to Aoi, her eyes remaining locked firmly onto Linda.

Aoi could see it in the Commanding Officer's eyes. The gleam of bloodlust and rage, a kind that was so powerful that no one would have expected Veeta of all people to have it. It was practically tangible, making Aoi feel like taking a few steps back.

"Veeta…we need to get the other soldiers away from here…" Aoi wasn't sure what to do to make Veeta return to her usual self, so she tried and took another step forward. "Akai can only buy us so much time, so we need to hurry…"

_I can't tell her…no, I can't tell anyone Akai's having trouble with his powers. _

But Veeta shrugged off the hand that Aoi placed on her arm, and she drew her throwing knives out and gripped them as if she were hanging onto them for life.

"…I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch…" Her tone was menacing and dark, completely unlike the Veeta that they'd known yesterday. Her mouth was twisted into a fierce, savage scowl that clearly looked like one that was ready to kill. "…I'm gonna murder them all…so don't get in my way…"

"Veeta!" Aoi cried out her name, but it was no use as the Commanding Officer sped away and towards the fight.

…_crap…for now, I think I can get the soldiers to safety… _Aoi turned to the buildings and flew towards them at the quickest and quietest speed she could manage, landing gracefully near their hideaway. She ran over to one of the soldiers and crouched under the rubble, casting a worried glance at Linda before addressing the soldiers. "Okay, I think we can get out while Akai is distracting her! Come on, quickly!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers nodded vigorously, looks of relief in their eyes.

"Let's go! We don't have any time waste!" Aoi said, and she began leading the soldiers behind her. Waving her staff, she began kicking up a fierce dust storm with a blast of wind that concealed them from view.

_Hold out for us, Akai._

* * *

"She's going to give it away, you know."

Magic frowned at Croire's words as the two of them watched Linda from inside the castle through a miniscule magic vessel that displayed their location. Magic turned to the fairy, taking her eyes off of Linda. "…do you truly believe she is that foolish?"

"You're a million years too young if you think you can try and fool me, Magic." Croire shot back with so much sarcasm dripping from her voice that it could be felt in its excess. She jumped off of her book playfully while the tome made several revolutions around her before catching her safely once again, and she got back down on her rear in a cross-legged position. "You already know that the Trojan's been using her negative emotions as a host. What used to be your loyal minion is nothing but a savage who yearns for brutality and destruction."

"Be that as it may, she is still capable of rational thought." Magic said, turning her gaze back to stare at Linda through her portal. "She hasn't forgotten the instructions that I-"

"Doesn't matter." Croire replied, sighing as if she were disappointed. "If she lets it slip somehow, or if Akai beats her up, the plan will be endangered. He'll figure it out one way or another, and then the revival will be ruined. He's also gonna get his hands on one of those Sharicite Shards."

"It's no problem." Magic waved off Croire's statement uncaringly. "That boy still harbors the Trojan, does he not? Merely fighting will cause him agony, and none of the others save for the Oracles pose any kind of threat to us. And there are only four of those Oracles, which we can dispose of at our leisure with all of the power we have amassed."

"Whatever." Croire replied, shrugging and floating away. "I'm gonna head over to Trick. He should be almost finished preparing the ritual for summoning Arfoire. What's Judge doing?"

"Wreaking havoc amongst the other citizens, as he usually does." Magic replied, looking at another magic display. On the display was Judge laughing maniacally as he littered the streets of a former Leanboxian city with blood and bodies. "He's doing an excellent job of gathering the Fear we require."

"At the cost of your own citizens and soldiers." Croire remarked. "No one believes in ASIC anymore. They only dread it."

"Then that will be fine. That's what we need." Magic replied, smiling wickedly. "We only need our Lady. Once she has arrived, the worthy will survive. Those who are not worthy are not needed in the New World."

"As expected of the most devoted of the Four Felons." Croire snickered mockingly yet again. "Be sure to entertain me, Magic. I won't stand for it if you fail to start a show."

"Oh, you need not worry. My lady will show you a good time, for sure."

_Holy crap. _

Akai drew back as his left arm roared in pain, retreating to a fair distance where Linda's blows could not reach him so that he could attempt to clear his mind from the blinding pain he felt in his body.

He didn't need to be careful though.

Veeta was keeping up with Linda blow for blow, dodging attacks and then returning vicious, brutal attacks that were all aimed at vital points that were clearly capable of killing a normal person with each attack. Linda threw a powerful attack with her baton, only for Veeta to vault over it and perform a spinning kick that smashed her heel into Linda's face.

And all the while, Veeta was totally silent with a glare that looked like she was attempting to burn holes with her eyes into Linda's body.

_What…just happened? _Akai, completely speechless, just stood there and withstood the torrent of pain and tried to suppress his powers to alleviate the pain. _It's like she became a different person entirely. _

"I'm gonna kill you!" Veeta howled, and her voice sounded so anguished and rage-filled that it was completely unrecognizable. She shot a dozen bolts and then switched to throwing knives, each one in between her fingers and hurling a maximum of ten. They all buried themselves into one focused spot on Linda's chestplate, which Veeta then smashed her foot into and broke it into fragments.

"Kh! So you're not just scummy shit…!" Linda's smile turned feral, and the light in her eyes suddenly changed as she clenched her fist so hard that a shockwave was sent out from it. "Make this interesting for me, you worthless piece of shit!"

_And Linda's changing, too… _Akai saw the light of intelligence slowly leaving her eyes. _Something's happening here…_

_I'm getting a bad feeling about this…I have to stop this before something happens! _


	33. Chapter 30: Enemy Betrayed, Bond Made

**Chapter 30: Enemy Betrayed, Bond Made**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Veeta somersaulted upwards, barely dodging Linda's baton by a hairsbreadth, as she quickly assaulted the CFW in front of her with a barrage of explosive arrows. Linda let out a string of curses as the fiery blasts bathed her in flame and force, and she leaped back to regain her breath and composure.

However, the now-insane Commanding Officer wouldn't let her. The instant that Linda had taken that leap backwards, Veeta dashed after her with all of the frightening vengeance of a rabid wolf. Smashing a pair of throwing knives into Linda's armor, Veeta took another pair of knives and then jabbed them savagely into the green-haired woman's knee.

"Ugh!" Linda let out a grunt of pain as she fell to her other knee in shock. Veeta didn't let this chance pass her, performing a backflip and letting her foot crash into Linda's chin and uppercut her into the sky. Right after that, Veeta reached into her belt and then tossed an innumerable number of plastic explosives into the air around her opponent and then detonated those with a click of the detonator.

The result was a string of flaming spheres that lit up the battlefield, engulfing the CFW in the radius of destruction. Linda emerged from the fireworks whole, but not unharmed. And she looked pissed, too.

She drove her baton into the ground, the impact creating a wave of force that upturned an avalanche of dirt upon Veeta. But the Commanding Officer immediately threw another explosive charge right into the middle of it and blasted a hole in the impending wall of earth. She dived through it and continued forward, drawing out her crossbows and firing more explosive arrows that struck Linda directly.

…_at this rate, Veeta could actually win. _Akai thought, words not able to express his astonishment. He stood a safe distance to the side, the pain of his corrupted transformation not even bothering him anymore. The spectacle happening before his eyes was something he'd never expected to see.

Linda losing to a normal person.

_But if this goes on…_ Akai's eyes tore away from Veeta's jaguar-like movements and focused on her limbs and her skin.

Despite her speed and prowess, Veeta was bleeding from many spots on her body. She was losing it fast, painting the floor with both Linda's blood and her own as the battle lasted.

_Aoi managed to lead the men away from the battlefield and start them back to Gekko, but bringing Veeta back like this isn't gonna do any good. _He narrowed his eyebrows and bit his lip as he watched Veeta continue her deadly dance with Linda.

_I need to stop her. Before she kills herself. _

"HRAAAAAHHH!" With another savage yell, Veeta ran forward and shot a dozen crossbow bolts right into Linda's chest and then detonated another explosive in the same spot a half-second right after. The CFW was blown back by the explosion and landed onto her back, dazed and stunned.

Akai used that moment and zipped forward, stopping right in between the two girls and letting his weapons dissipate into the air. He held up his hands and let his transformation go as well, so that Veeta would not see him as an enemy.

And in that moment, Akai caught a full glimpse of Veeta for the first time since her outburst.

Veeta's eyes were glazed over and set in a permanent glare, and her shoulders were rising up and down as she breathed hard like she was trying to control herself. Her fists were clenched and her lips were frozen in an angry scowl.

She looked mad. Insane. Like she'd gone rabid.

"Veeta?" Akai spoke softly, trying to reach out to her and show his lack of fighting spirit. "It's me, Akai. The guy that came from another dimension, like, a couple days ago."

Veeta remained where she was, still breathing heavily and staring at Akai with her piercing eyes. She remained hunched over and her fingers stretched out like claws as if she were about to pounce, but otherwise didn't do anything else.

_It's like I'm treating her like some sort of wild animal. _Akai thought grimly to himself. _…what happened to her? _

He took a step forward, a very cautious one that Akai took slowly and carefully. He kept his hands up in the air, his eyes locked onto Veeta. "Veeta, we need to go back home. Dihez was worried about you."

"…Dihez…?" Veeta's eyes seemed to accept more light as she said that name with a raspy breath, and she slowly began to stand back up.

"Don't go interrupting, brat."

A loud metallic clang came with Linda's irritated voice, and Akai turned around to see Linda with her weapons at the ready. She had struck them against one another to make that sound, and now she held them aloft. She clicked her tongue, clearly pissed, and gnashed her teeth. "I'm gonna kill that bitch, and then you. So, move."

Akai took in a deep breath and then engaged his transformation, ignoring the pain as best he could. He could feel Veeta's murderous aura beginning to renew itself, and he wanted to take care of its target before things got out of hand. "I'm not going to let you.

An explosion suddenly ripped out from in between Akai and Linda, kicking up another dust storm that forced Akai to squint. He raised his arm to shield his face from the wind.

And when it died down, a chill went through his body.

"…what are you doing, Linda?" The most infamous and powerful of the Four Felons, Magic, stood there with her scythe in hand. She'd turned away to face Linda, her expression clearly cross. Her tone dripped with disappointment, but Akai could not tell if it was genuine or sarcastic. "You agreed not to come after the boy anymore."

"Get out of my way, Magic!" Linda growled back, tightening her grip on the mace and baton in her hands. "They're my enemies! I'm not going to let you-!"

"You've certainly learned how to bark back since you've gotten ahold of that twisted power, haven't you?" In an instant, Magic had appeared right in front of Linda with an indifferent expression.

And in the instant after that, Magic plunged her hand straight into Linda's body. Pointing her fingers forward like an arrow, she thrusted the arm forward and into Linda's chest with the speed of a bullet and the force of a cannonball. The impact itself caused a shockwave to ripple through the earth, far enough for Akai to feel through his feet.

"Hrk!" Linda immediately coughed up blood the minute Magic had struck her, and she immediately dropped her weapons. She looked up at Magic, confused. The impaled woman's hands grabbed onto her assailant's arm, as if she were trying to pull the arm out. "Wh-what…are you…?"

"You are truly a fool. And now that I know how to take this from you, I can finally dispose of you." With that, Magic suddenly ripped her hand out from Linda's body in a ruthless, brutal manner.

In her hand was not Linda's heart. And Akai thanked his lucky stars that it wasn't. He didn't want to see that. However, what was in Magic's hand was something that sent a feeling of impending devastation through his system.

A purple glowing crystal.

_The Trojan! _

Linda immediately paled once the crystal had been removed, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head before she collapsed onto the ground. Magic paid that no mind as she bent down and sent her hand through Linda's pockets, sighing as she pulled out something else that Akai couldn't see and placing it in her skimpy top before shooting a pointed glare at Akai. She sneered wickedly when they made eye contact and she took off into the sky, leaving Akai and Veeta alone with what looked to them like Linda's corpse.

…_okay, at least that's one problem taken care of. _Akai decided to think on the positive side instead and turned to Veeta, who had fallen down to her knees with her head hung. _On the other hand…_

Akai walked very cautiously over to Veeta, disengaging his transformation as he did so, and was glad when he reached her side without anything abrupt happening. He crouched down next to her, and he realized that her fists were trembling. Akai felt a pang of worry go through his chest, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "…Veeta?"

"…I'm sorry." Her voice was shaky and sounded very weak, like a croak. Veeta gave Akai an apologetic look, her eyes trembling. She was struggling to get herself back together. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"I-it's okay." Akai tried to comfort her in reply before standing up and offering her his hand. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I-I'm fine now." Veeta replied, flashing a grin that reassured Akai to some degree that she was at least fine and sane again. She got to her feet, wobbling a bit, and then began walking over to Linda. "More importantly…"

Akai followed her at a distance, and the pair stopped right next to the CFW. And to them, with her eyes closed and blood on her mouth, Linda looked dead. Veeta knelt and placed her fingers onto her neck, slowly shaking her head a few seconds later. "…yeah, she's gone."

"Magic killed her? Why?" Akai muttered, both to himself and to Veeta, "That's contradictory. I thought that they were working together."

"Magic's a scheming bitch. I suspect she's been thinking about doing this ever since Linda first got her hands on her powers." Veeta replied in a low voice, standing back up.

"True." Akai laughed dryly. "So, now what? We should head back, right?"

"Yeah…we probably should-"

The sound of a loud beeping and ringing set both of them on edge, but both of them sighed when they realized it was the sound of Veeta's communicator. She pressed the button on her ear, where her headset was. "Commanding Officer Veeta."

"Veeta, are you alright? I got a report from Dihez saying that you encountered Linda." Chika's voice came over the line, and she sounded both breathless and worried.

Veeta glanced at the dead body on the floor wistfully, as if she remembered something she didn't want to remember. "…yeah, I got out of it safe." Veeta then looked up towards the sky, confused. "In fact, shouldn't she be able to see me?"

"The cameras in your area aren't working right now." The Insurgent replied, letting out a sigh over the microphone that clearly indicated she was frustrated beyond belief. "All we're getting is static."

"Probably Magic." Akai offered, shrugging as he looked up at the sky. "Maybe she, like, destroyed them or cut them off with some sort of spell. Well, you get the picture."

Veeta shrugged and nodded, turning to Akai. "Yeah, you have a point." She then returned her attention to Chika. "So? Shall I head back? We still managed to get the supplies."

"Aoi contacted me just a few minutes ago, and she reported in on the situation. She's nearing the entrance to the city with the men." Chika informed. Tension entered her voice as she continued. "More importantly…the cameras that are still working have a visual of Judge."

_Judge?! _Veeta's eyes widened, and she grinned. She thought eagerly, her fists clenching in anticipation and battle-ready bloodlust.

"If you are within fighting condition, we would like for you to intercept him. He is currently en route to Gekko's northwest entrance. ETA fifteen minutes. Delay him long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

"…alright. We'll go."

"Affirmative." Chika responded readily, the sound of people in the background yelling and bustling noisily prominent. "Commanding Officers will be making their way to the same point as soon as possible."

Veeta nodded and clicked the communicator again, closing the communication channel and turning around to face Akai. She pointed in the direction of Gekko. "Judge is heading to the city. We need to get in between him and the people."

"Sounds like a plan." Akai nodded, hopping on the balls of his ankles once. "Are you okay to fight?" He gave her a worried glance.

Veeta just nodded. "I'm always game to beat down some ASIC goons! Let's go!"

_At least it seems like she's back to normal. _Akai thought to himself, relieved.

"…are we gonna make it in time on foot?" Akai asked worriedly, glancing in the direction of the city. "We're pretty far out. And he's gonna get there in fifteen minutes."

Veeta realized what he was saying, and cursed inside for not realizing it sooner. They were too far to reach him on foot. Her expression of frustration said it all to Akai, who just sighed and said, "I'll get us there, don't worry."

She looked at him with a doubtful expression. "What do you mean? Do you have transpo?"

"No." Akai shrugged before he engaged his transformation again. His spiky, corrupted armor sent waves of pain through his body that made Akai bite his lip in surprise. Doing his best to maintain a straight, strong face, Akai turned around and then crouched down so that he was on his knees. "Get on. I can fly like this."

"Oh, good call." Veeta replied thankfully, grinning as she hopped onto Akai's back. Planting her feet into his shoulders, Veeta crouched down low and then grabbed Akai's shoulder to steady and brace herself. "You okay to carry me?"

"Yeah, sure." Akai said, his voice a little unsteady but otherwise alright. He slowly rose to his feet, Veeta having clambered on his back and readied herself for wind pressure, and staggered and wobbled a bit before managing to balance himself. "Are you ready?"

"Sure thing!" She said, and Akai felt relief and gladness when he took a glance at her. She was herself again. She had that same strange giddiness and cheeriness that she'd been displaying for the brief time he'd known her.

"Then make sure you don't fall off!"

Akai immediately pushed himself off of the ground and began flying forward, twinging in pain as his clashing powers began to mash against one another again as he soared through the sky. He flew close to the ground, his Planeptune Katana pointed away from his body and surging with lightning.

Veeta let out a whoop as she immediately tightened her grip on his shoulder, exhilaration and excitement instantly flooding her system. "Whoowee!"

…_but still…_ Akai took another quick glance up at Veeta, still a little worried. Recollection of her rampage not a few minutes ago made him feel really concerned. …_what happened?_

"…why did you go crazy back there?" Akai decided to ask.

Veeta's expression immediately changed for a moment, a flash of hesitation on her face, before it reverted back to her cheerful face.

But she didn't say anything.

_Boring as hell. _

Judge sped across the landscape like a meteor-sized bullet, barely scraping the ground with his massive axe in tow. Dust clouds of epic proportions were rising behind him like an old cowboy movie, creating a ginormous cloud of imposing brown that floated and hung in the air.

_I need to kill something. _He thought to himself, his fingers twitching and moving around in place while he continued to fly through the air at an impressive speed. _I need to kill something or I'll die of boredom! _

He raised his head upwards, glancing up at the dark sky with a hint of deep thought penetrating the haze of bloodlust surrounding his mind. _…oh yeah, the Sharicite…_ Judge placed his hand over the dormant, inactive crystal that he'd kept under his armor in a compartment built into his chest. _I forgot to leave it behind…_ Judge just decided to stop thinking about it, removing his hand from his chest and returning his attention to the landscape in front of him.

Suddenly, without warning, he suddenly felt a single thump in his side.

Judge raised his left arm, and he realized for a split second that there was a foreign object lodged in his armor.

"…the hell is-?"

And just as suddenly as the object appeared, an abrupt explosion in his left arm sent the startled Judge sliding into the ground brutally. "Fuck!" Judge began to belt out a string of angry curses as he slammed his fist into the ground and floated back up to ground level. Ignoring the dirt clinging to his armor, Judge squinted his eyes and glared to his left, where the arrow had come from.

And in that direction, he could see a small dot slowly getting larger and larger.

"…what the fuck is going on?!" Judge growled as he tightly gripped his axe and immediately took off at a breakneck speed towards the incoming dot. "Come at me, fucker!"

"You were right. He will charge you if you shoot him." Akai couldn't help but admire with a whistle as he continued to fly directly at the CFW that was charging him in a menacing manner. He chuckled as the torrent of vulgar language was slowly getting louder, placing both hands onto his weapon and readying it.

"I did it before." Veeta said matter-of-factly with a grin. In order to take her first shot, she had to stand up straight and fire with a single crossbow hundreds of meters ago. Now she'd crouched back down to balance herself once again as she pulled out her other crossbow and readied them with explosive bolts. "He always falls for it."

Akai just laughed out loud once as Judge came at him, and the two flying warriors closed the distance in a heartbeat. Akai quickly stopped flying, sliding under Judge as he swung his axe. Simultaneously, Veeta jumped off of him and, while avoiding the CFW's lethal weapon, fired the two explosive bolts directly in his face. With a loud boom, the projectiles created a powerful explosion that made Judge curse again and cover his eyes with one hand.

Disoriented, he began to swing the axe around blindly in the hopes he would hit anyone close by as he tried to recover. Veeta and Akai gave him a good distance, watching him amusedly as he swung his weapon like an impaired ninja. "Where are you, you fuckers?!" He cried out tauntingly. "I'm gonna kill you so hard, you'll die to death!"

"I'm gonna smash your head in."

Akai's eyes widened and a sweat drop immediately formed on his brow when he heard Veeta's low, aggressive growl. He turned to say something to her, but the Commanding Officer already took off and was charging the still-blinded CFW.

"Wait!" Akai cried out worriedly, immediately taking to the air and flying after Veeta. A sudden sense of foreboding came over him, and Akai looked at Judge and realized that his vision had just recovered.

"It's you!" Judge cried out gleefully, his glowing eyes pulsing with eagerness. He held the pole of his axe in both hands and got ready to swing, like a batter at the home plate. "I'm gonna chop you in half, little shits!"

"Veeta, watch out!" Akai cried out worriedly, still focused on his companion. He quickly sped up, no longer caring about his own safety as he upped the ante.

Dashing forward, he grabbed Veeta by the waist and turned around, his back taking the brunt of the blow from his enemy. Akai let out a scream of pain as he felt a burning line sear itself into his skin from his shoulder to his hip.

"A-Akai?!" Veeta suddenly realized that she'd been so focused on fighting Judge that she'd tuned out everything else that was happening, and she now noticed that both of them were on the ground and Akai was hissing in pain. She quickly crawled out of his arms and stood up, aware of the fact that Judge was closing in on them fast. "G-get up!"

"Y-yeah…" He let out a groan as he sloppily dragged himself to his feet. His face was contorted, and it clearly expressed pain. "Goddamn it…!"

"Hahaha! I'm gonna pay you back, you little bitch!" Judge screamed out as he charged the two of them. Striking the ground with the butt of his axe, he shook the earth and made the two of them wobble. He then charged forward, completely ignoring Veeta as he swung his axe down at Akai.

Akai deflected the blow weakly, only managing to escape by a hairsbreadth.

"Hey!" Veeta yelled out, hoping to draw his attention away from Akai. She raised her crossbows and let loose a barrage of bolts that pierced halfway through the armor of the CFW.

But Judge ignored her completely, focusing on Akai with powerful, devastating swings with his axe.

_Damn…smart bastard! _Akai cursed in his mind as he deflected another series of attacks, his strength waning thanks to the lack of focus resultant of the pain assaulting his body and spirit. He raised his blade, blocking another blow from the side that sent him sprawling and sliding into the dirt. He felt nails of pain digging into his shoulder, and those nails felt like they were getting hammered in as he tried to stand up.

"You can't do shit anymore, can you?!" Judge hollered, trying to goad Akai into fighting. As Judge closed in, he picked up Akai by the head and then smashed it into his chest armor.

"Agh!" Akai let out that cry of agony, very aware of the blood that was beginning to trickle from his scalp beyond the mind-melting pain that was raging in his body.

For a moment, Akai felt his focus and waver as he felt something stir within him. The CPU side of his power suddenly fluttered within his body, and he felt a similar stirring right in front of his face where the armor of Judge was.

_What…? _Akai, confused, stared hard at the hard, shiny blue-green armor millimeters from his nose. _What is this feeling? Like something familiar is right in front of-_

He barely had time to think before he was thrown up into the air and struck again with the axe. Unable to do anything else, he closed his eyes and braced himself as he struck the ground hard. He bounced upwards once before landing again, doing his best to ignore the pain as he rose to his feet yet again.

"Fucker! Hey!" Veeta, pissed off, began throwing all manner of explosives in Judge's way. She then closed in, jumping up high and stabbed five knives into Judge's shoulder. Right after, she stuck a pack of C4 onto him, leaped off and then detonated it.

Judge ignored even that, focused solely on Akai. "Hahahahaha!" With a malicious laugh, Judge smashed his axe into Akai's abdomen and sent him flying like a golf ball.

As the boy hit the ground, Akai felt the pain overwhelm his senses in an explosive instant. His transformation shattered, leaving him in his normal, now tattered and dirtied clothes.

_Oh shit! _Veeta's eyes widened and her increasing frustration, irritation and anger instantly vanished when she realized that her companion was in danger. She ran in his direction, tossing a flashbang up and turning away as it lit up not three inches away from Judge's eyes.

"Gah!" Judge let out a cry of shock, and he shielded his eyes like before while swinging his axe around blindly, expecting Veeta to blindside him again like before.

But this time, Veeta rushed to Akai's side and crouched down to look at him.

He had wounds, bruises and blood all over his body. Half unconscious and groaning in pain, he was pretty badly beaten up. Akai let out a moan and a sigh before he slowly began to drag himself up. "…goddamn it…"

"Lady Chika, this is Commanding Officer Veeta!" Veeta quickly reached for her communicator, placing a wireless earbud into her ear before quickly grabbing Akai and hoisting him onto her back. Quickly, she took out a smoke grenade and smashed it underneath her foot before dashing off in the direction of the city. "Akai's been gravely injured! Retreating momentarily!"

"Understood. Your reinforcements' ETA towards your position is-"

Veeta let out a yelp when suddenly something zipped down from the sky and crashed into the ground with a painfully loud boom and a ground-shaking rumble not less than five feet away from her, and she immediately jumped away from it.

She realized belatedly that the object turned out to be Dihez when the rock dust cleared to reveal her fellow Commanding Office. With the straightest, flattest expression, Dihez got off of her knees and stood up, hefting her massive hammer on her shoulder and beginning to walk over to Veeta and Akai. The raven-haired Commanding Officer breathed a sigh of relief. "Holy crap, Dihez! You freaked me out!"

Dihez said nothing as she tapped Veeta on the shoulder while passing her, nodding once to Akai before she took off running straight at Judge. Her hammer made a loud metallic sound as the face of the blunt weapon opened to reveal a cluster of missiles ready to fire at a moment's notice and bring hell.

"Damn. You guys are amazing." Akai grumbled in admiration, his words sounding faraway as his mind drifted and wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Well, I'm still getting used to my new teammates." Veeta let out a strangely carefree laugh despite the situation they were in. "I never expected to find my comrade fall like a meteor." Veeta glanced upwards as she said the word _meteor_, and her expression brightened eagerly. "Hey, it's that girl you came with. Um…what was her name again…?"

Aoi was descending slowly towards them, her staff in one hand and her entire body outlined with a glow of magical energy. She gracefully lowered herself, gradually closing in on the ground as the currents of the wind that carried her body whirled and blew around her like a mini-tornado.

"Veeta! Akai!" She cried out, waving to them with her free hand before she reached the ground. Aoi landed gently on her feet, took one look at them and then let out a cry of concern. "Are you guys alright?" Aoi scratched her head and clicked her tongue, noting Veeta's scratches and her clear lack of energy. "…guess not." She peered worriedly over at Akai, her eyebrows clenched. "Is he okay?"

"I'm still conscious." Akai hollered weakly, giving a weak grin. "We need to make it back though. We're both pretty battered after fighting both Judge and Linda."

Aoi nodded, letting out a laugh. "Yeah, I can see that." She glanced in the distance, where lights and bursts of smoke along with sparks indicated the battleground where Dihez and Judge were fighting. "I came to help. We'll buy you time, so get out of here."

"You're a good girl…uh…" Veeta cocked her head, fumbling for the words but left at a loss for what to say. She then hung her head in shame and said apologetically, "Sorry. What was your name again?"

"Don't forget Aoi. She's in your care now, you know." Akai laughed, and then groaned when his body didn't agree with his laughter. Another wave of pain ripped through his system, making him convulse and twitch wordlessly.

Veeta just shot him a sharp look and then hefted him up on her back again. "Before you worry about other people, worry about yourself first."

"We'll buy the time you need to get back." Aoi said, nodding firmly before focusing her gaze on Judge. She gripped her staff tighter and then took a step forward. "Best case scenario: we beat him to death."

"Alright, thanks!" Veeta thanked her with a bow of the head before hoisting Akai on her back again to make sure that he wasn't sliding off. "I owe you one!"

With that, Veeta dashed past Aoi, who took to the air and soared towards the CFW that was still occupied with fighting Dihez. _Okay, so I have to do this on foot. _

_Great._

* * *

**10 Minutes Later…**

"Hahhhh…hahhh…"

"…Veeta, do you need to rest?" Akai, who was still half-conscious, managed to muster up enough energy to voice his concern. His heavy lidded and unfocused eyes could still tell that Veeta was getting closer and closer to total exhaustion. She was breathing heavily and her running form had gotten sloppy. Biting his lip in preparation, he slowly tried to rise from his slumping position on her back. "If you can't go any further, I can fly us back to-"

"No." Veeta's voice was firm and stern, to the point that it created a pressure that forced the rest of the words back down Akai's throat. "You're injured. Don't push yourself, or you could die."

"…sorry for being a burden."

"Why are you apologizing for something out of your control?" Veeta replied, all carefreeness gone from her voice and replaced with a steady, controlled tone.

"…I felt like it was appropriate."

Veeta just nodded and continued carrying him in silence. Akai, too, felt there was no need to waste energy and just leaned on her back.

She trudged onward in the destructed landscape, a wasteland of barren earth and dead grass that stretched for miles. Her arms were already in pain and the soles of her feet hurt as well. Her shoulders felt a little sore, and her breathing was getting erratic.

It didn't compare, though, to Akai's shallow breathing. Veeta noticed it before long and realized that it was too irregular. She glanced back as far as she could, increasingly worried. "Hey, Akai. Are you-?!"

What she saw behind her filled her with dread.

A trail of blood followed them closely and thickly, and it painted the dead looking earth with bright scarlet that sent chills up her spine. Alarm bells immediately went off in her mind when she saw the carpet of blood behind her. _Shit! _She thought, panicked, and she quickly lowered herself down to the ground to deposit Akai onto the surface temporarily.

"What's…wrong?" He asked, his voice sounding weak. "I knew you'd need a rest…soon enough…"

On his back, there were a few large, grisly wounds that trickled profusely with blood. Not only would they clearly leave scars, but they required immediate medical attention.

…_because I lost control again, he got hurt. _Veeta thought to herself unpleasantly, a pang of guilt striking her heart.

She took a deep breath and then carried Akai onto her back again.

_This is my responsibility. I need to get him back alive! _

Digging her feet into the ground, she took off running.

**Five minutes later…**

"I need medical assistance!" Veeta screamed the instant she got into the entrance to the tunnel that led down to Gekko. Sweat poured down her body and her chest heaved up and down while she tried to get air.

Instantly, the soldiers that were positioned there ran over to her and took Akai off of her back, to which her response was to fall forward and onto her hands and knees, completely spent.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" One of the soldiers who had not taken Akai away walked over to her, expressing concern for the well-being of the Commanding Officer that looked ready to pass out.

"I'm…hahh…fine…hahh…" Veeta replied, holding his hand out to stop the soldier from approaching her any further. With a deep inhale, she staggered to her feet and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "What's the status of the team dispatched to intercept Judge?"

"Still going strong." The soldier replied with a nod, standing straight like a wooden board. "Currently, Judge is being driven away from this location."

Veeta sighed in relief and then turned to glance at the group of soldiers that were huddled too close and blocking her from seeing the unconscious Akai that they carried.

Before she knew it, she already began walking towards him.

The soldier, surprised by the girl's sudden takeoff, blurted out, "Commander, where are you-?!"

"I was responsible for the injuries of the boy." She stopped walking as she curtly replied to the soldier. "I'll see to his recovery myself." She turned around and then said, "More importantly, can you give me the location of Commanding Officer Genesis?"

"Ah, yes! She's still at the city!" The soldier obeyed, saying no more.

Veeta nodded and dismissed him with a wave of the hand. She turned on her heel and rushed to the medical wing of the facility at the entrance. And as she did, a thought occurred to her while tailing the huddle of men carrying the boy.

…_why does Genny distrust him? He's not a bad guy. _

_Maybe I can ask her. _


	34. Chapter 31: Sick Visit

**Chapter 31: Sick Visit**

_Mrrgghh…_

Akai slowly opened his eyes and was consequently greeted with a massive white blotch. He could see a fluorescent lamp hanging from the white ceiling above him through his blurry vision, and he blinked once to try and clear his sight. That didn't work too well, so he reached for his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to rub them.

"Thank goodness you're alive."

Akai heard a voice speak out of nowhere with what he could barely detect as both relief and concern, and it was familiar to him but he couldn't quite place the face or the name to it. Akai strained his neck and tried to look down, since he was lying down.

He was in a moderately cramped white room that was cramped with various apparatus that he could tell was the kind of stuff that he'd normally see in a hospital. He was lying down on a white bed that definitely looked like it belonged to an infirmary. Two gray shelves stood at the far side of room, with two sliding glass doors that protected lines of syringes, tablets and other kinds of medicine. Another similar shelf was on Akai's right, next to what he realized was an IV drip connected to his right arm.

There was a dark green door with blinds covering the window situated in its upper half at the far left side of the room. And next to it was a small arrangement of stools.

And sitting on one of those stools was his bodyguard, dressed in military fatigues like before.

"Oh, you're here." Akai greeted him groggily, scratching the back of his head and blinking to try and get the drowsiness out of his eyes. "Um…what was it…"

"James." The soldier finished for him with a grin, and then his expression morphed into that of apology. "Hey, sorry for running out on you. That girl that came with you managed to get us to move back to home base."

"Well, she is one of the Commanding Officers." Akai replied, chuckling. "She does have the authority."

"That wasn't even what ran through my mind when she started barking orders at us." James replied, laughing at the memory. "It felt like she was going to end up slicing all of the unit in half if we didn't do something."

"Well, she's got a lot of initiative." Akai just sighed and smiled apologetically. "Be sure to bear with her for the fights to come, James."

Just then, they heard the door swing open quickly with a piercing squeak, and the consequent slam of the doorknob against the wall rang unpleasantly against both men's ears, and they flinched and blinked at the sudden explosion of noise that assaulted their senses.

And of course, the person that happened to rush in and stumble a little bit was the subject of their conversation.

"Speak of the devil." Akai said with an amused smile, watching Aoi get her bearings and try to recover from her unusual entrance. "We were just talking about you."

"Are you alright?" Aoi asked in reply, quickly grabbing a stool from next to James and hefting over to the side of the bed. She planted it gently into the ground before vaulting over it and landing her rear onto the seat, her worried gaze on Akai the whole time.

"Yeah, I'm good." Akai raised a hand in reassurance and placed it on Aoi's shoulder with a smile. "I'll only be here for a while. It'll be quick, and I'll be back on my feet."

"Can't wait." Aoi said eagerly, grinning. She looked to her right, where one of the bedside desks next to Akai displayed a bowl of strangely colorful fruits. She shrugged, not knowing what else to do, and picked up one of the apples. With a snap of her finger, the skin instantly peeled off and the apple divided itself into several bite-sized pieces. "Here, take one." She said, holding her hand out to him.

"…ordinarily, you're supposed to do this with a fork or something else, and then you feed me." Akai remarked with a sly smile. "Aren't you going to?"

"I will not spoil you that much. Ask IF to do that for you when we get back." Aoi shot back, taking one piece and holding it out for him in between her fingers. "Here, this is the most I'll do."

"Fine, fine." Akai laughed and bit it gratefully, chewing and swallowing it in a single instant. His eyes sharpened right after that, instantly killing the lighthearted, easygoing mood that had slowly developed. "More importantly, how did things go outside?"

Aoi's smile faded as her expression too became serious, and she placed the apples down on the desk. She clasped her hands together tightly and narrowed her eyes, as if she were remembering something she didn't want to remember. "…not that well."

_Shit. _"What happened?" Akai asked, concern growing and growing with every passing second.

Aoi just let out a weary sigh and shifted on her chair. "Well, the good part is that we managed to drive Judge away. He managed to escape after we did a decent amount of damage to him." Aoi looked up at Akai. "And the soldiers weren't useless. They really knew how to fight against the CFWs."

"Of course they do." James butted in suddenly, both of the other occupants of the room turning to face him when he did speak. "We're trained on a regular basis by inhuman coaches." His tone carried a small tone of bitterness which amused Akai and Aoi to no end, but they continued listening. "We're trained to handle the CFWs, since failure means death not just for us on the frontlines but for everyone else back at the city."

"…now that I think about it…" Akai trailed off as he glanced at the window, and he gestured with his hand. In response, a small gust of wind created by magic immediately brushed aside the blinds.

The sight he was greeted with was not what he expected. The sky was completely absent, replaced by a ceiling of earth that didn't extend too high up. Steel beams rose to meet that ceiling and support that earthen sky, making it look like an underground, steampunk dystopia. Men and women all garbed in the soldiers' uniform passed by the window in various ways; some in distress and clearly stressed, running like their lives were dependent on what they were doing and where they were going. Others looked stern and disciplined but otherwise composed and calm as they strode and marched with a form that seemed so natural to them it was clearly practiced for more than just days.

Steel catwalks were abundant in Akai's view, and he was surprised to see various different levels scattered around the area where soldiers kept walking, all armed with various different kinds of weaponry that looked so advanced that Akai couldn't help but want to whistle in admiration. Beyond the network of catwalks, Akai could see a massive gate where he guessed no less than a hundred soldiers were all positioned.

"…if you're wondering where we are, then we're at one of the entrances that lead down into Gekko." James offered, seeing the astounded look on Akai's face and chuckling. "This is where Commanding Officer Veeta took you after we discovered your location."

The mention of her name jolted his memory, and Akai immediately turned to face him with alertness written all over his face. "Veeta! Where is she?"

"She's alright." Aoi answered for James before the bodyguard could even speak, who had opened his mouth to speak but didn't get the chance and just shrugged indifferently when it was clear he wasn't getting his chance. "She wouldn't leave your side until they told her you were going to wake up conscious and alive." Aoi giggled. "It was kinda like a movie, from what I imagine."

"I see…" Akai nodded and laid back into his pillows, letting out a sigh. "When you see her, let her know that I'm grateful for her taking care of me. And also, give her my apologies for falling in that battle."

"Alright, I'll be sure to tell her that." Aoi got up and began walking for the door. "Is there anything else? Maybe some info on the fight with Judge that might come in handy for us?"

"Info about…"

Immediately, Akai remembered it.

_When I was close to Judge's body, I could feel something resonating with me. Something that felt like it was a part of me…but that doesn't make sense… _His thoughts were a jumble, scrambling for bits of pieces of information that didn't seem coherent when he tried to piece it together. He could feel fatigue and weariness, combined with the constant pain of his warring powers like a headache but in his body, get in the way of his mind.

…_I'll think about it when I can put it together. _Akai decided, letting his confused thoughts drift back into the recesses of his mind. "No, nothing really. Maybe I'll remember something later." Akai said to Aoi, waving his hand dismissively. "You may now go."

"Alright. I'll be going now." She said with a wave of her hand before she closed the door quietly.

* * *

"Alright, men! Change your shifts!"

"Yes, Lady Veeta!"

The Commanding Officer stood on a steel catwalk that hovered high above the ground as she watched over dozens of soldiers that stood in their assigned positions near the entrance of the compound with her arms folded across her chest. Her loud yell yielded an instant reply to which soldiers immediately began moving to their next positions on their mentally engraved schedules.

The raven-haired Commanding Officer let out a loud sigh as she closed her eyes, fatigue slowly making itself apparent to her. She mentally pushed her tiredness away from her spirit and took a deep breath, slowly psyching herself up more and more.

"Commanding Officer Veeta, I have news for you!" A soldier who had taken over the shift for another soldier suddenly cried out from the ground floor, and Veeta opened her eyes to look down at the young man.

"State your business from that position!" She replied, leaning forward to better understand him.

His expression flashed with confusion for a moment before he continued. "The boy that you transported here is now conscious! Commanding Officer Aoi instructed me to inform-!"

_He's out! _

Without warning, Veeta spun around and vaulted over the railing of the catwalk, landing on the ground that was more than fifteen meters below without a second thought and running in the direction of the infirmary, dodging men and spinning around corners as quickly as she could.

She blew through the door in a heavy rush, quickly fixing her eyes on the infirmary bed.

What she saw bewildered her: Akai sat up in bed with an unchanging expression that stared at her with a word in his hand while several balls of floating magic energy hovered in midair.

"…what are you doing?" Left completely stunned, the seasoned, battle-hardened Commanding Officer could do nothing but ask that question to the boy.

"Oh. I figured I shouldn't waste too much time doing absolutely nothing, so I'm refining my control over magic and summoning weapons." Akai replied nonchalantly. He riveted his eyes on the wall and narrowed them a bit. Immediately, one bolt that was floating nearby flashed with a bright wave of light before zooming across the room and striking the wall in an explosion of cerulean light.

"…you're supposed to be resting." Veeta said, closing the door and walking over to him. She didn't say a single word as she took the _katana _in his hands and then snapped it with her hands. Without missing a beat, she drew out a pistol and shot the bolts out of the air with it. "I dragged you all the way back here, so why are you wasting my efforts?!" Her calm expression finally broke at the end, frustration clearly leaking through her façade.

"Haha, sorry." Akai apologized with a smile and a chuckle, lying back onto his pillow and sighing. "I needed this. A break is good every once in a while."

Veeta said nothing after that, merely scrutinizing Akai's every inch with her eyes as she pulled up a stool and slowly sat down onto it.

…_why did I get so angry? _She wondered, reflecting back on what had just happened.

…_I can't afford to get so angry, or I might lash out at him like before. _

_I can't let my emotions go crazy, or else…_

"…I owe you an apology for what happened back with Judge." Veeta said regretfully, bowing her head again. "I'm really sorry. I endangered your life there."

"Hey, hey. Don't sweat that so much. We're alive now." Akai waved his hand dismissively, shrugging. "Just don't do it too often, or we might have problems later on."

Taken aback by such an easygoing, simple acceptation of her statement, Veeta stared at Akai like he'd fallen from the sky. "…that was awfully quick."

"Don't sweat the small stuff." Akai shrugged and replied, sighing. "It's only going to make problems if you focus too much on small things that don't need focusing on."

But that did nothing to ease her guilt, if only a microscopic portion.

"But why do you do that, anyway?" Akai asked suddenly, curiosity smashing all forms of consideration and courtesy aside. "Are you the kind of fighter who drugs themselves to make yourself stronger? I've only seen them in anime, so…"

"…"

For a few seconds, Veeta could do nothing else but stare at him. She burst out laughing, tears already forming at the sides of her eyes.

"…did I amuse you?" Akai asked, unsure what to make of what was happening in front of him.

Veeta managed to calm down after a short while of laughing, and she clutched at her gut as if it were about to break. "…hahh…I'm fine, I'm fine." She raised her head and grinned at him. "You're a funny guy."

Akai just looked at her questioningly for a split second before shrugging and laughing. "Is that what you think?"

"…after risking your life out there…I think you deserve to know why that happened."

The atmosphere tensed so quickly it was like the air was one giant muscle. Akai sensed it immediately, and he shifted his spot on the bed so that he could sit more comfortably as Veeta gazed at him with a serious, hard expression. Her voice had become weaker and quieter, like she was remembering something she didn't want to.

He said nothing, and Veeta looked away from him as she wet her throat with a gulp of saliva. "…it's not the happiest story…"

* * *

"Let me go over there, for the last time!"

Histoire merely shook her head for the umpteenth time at IF, who was almost trembling in place with what seemed like both rage and anxiety. "I've already detailed to you how unsafe it is. You could die, and I would very much prefer if you didn't do anything stupidly unsafe."

"That's my choice to make!" IF slammed her hand on the wooden desk in front of her, unable to contain her frustration. "He's fighting over there all alone and we know about everything that's going on! We should be there, trying to help-!"

"The CPUs have unanimously made the decision to remain here and that's final." Histoire cut her off sternly, her eyebrows furrowed. "I can't let you interfere with that. Merely opening a portal there is like a declaration of war. We'll be inviting trouble to the citizens of Gamindustri."

IF simply bit her lip harder, enough so that drops of blood spilled out immediately and hit the floor, becoming absorbed into the carpet, and turned around. She stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her, and immediately walked into the nearest room nearby. She let out a huff and removed her coat, tossing it onto the couch and landed her back hard onto the same couch.

"Hey, don't hide me with your coat! The last thing I need is something that reduces my screentime any more than what's happening now!"

With a cry, IF suddenly found herself being thrown off the couch by something below her. She hit the floor with a thud, a dull pain aching in her hip.

"What the hell?!" She exclaimed, getting to her feet and turning to the couch.

However, now she realized that Neptune was peeking out from under her coat with a look of mild irritation. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there." IF apologized sheepishly.

Neptune just shrugged, took the coat off of her body and rolled off the couch, now lying down on the floor as she looked up at IF. "…I can tell you're gonna do something stupid."

"I can't do anything anymore." IF replied bitterly, crouching down to look at Neptune more closely. "I don't know what to do anymore. I'm just stuck here, waiting."

"…well, he told you to wait for him, didn't he?" Neptune replied, her eyes not focused on IF but instead on a game console in her hand. The sounds of 2D monsters crying out in agony did not help create the tense, dramatic atmosphere that should have been present, and instead filled it with a sense of wacky stupidity.

"…I guess." IF responded, forced to reluctantly admit the fact. "…but I don't want to sit here and do nothing."

Neptune gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, IF. I can't do anything for you."

"It's okay. You're a CPU, so you should be thinking about your nation." IF responded solemnly, still a little disappointed. She got to her feet and walked to the door, stopping when she placed her hand on the knob. "…I'll figure something out."

"Don't do anything too stupid, you hear?" Neptune called out to her, looking up from her game for a brief moment. "Compa can heal you up anytime, but just make sure that you lose too much HP! Oh, and avoid the debuffs!"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for the advice." IF chuckled and closed the door.

Just as she turned to start walking down the hallway, her mind began jumping at every idea she had.

…_I know! If Neptune and the others can't help me, maybe Plutia can!_

* * *

I knew the Leanbox CPU when I was a kid.

My parents worked in the Basilicom as Devoted Followers to the CPUs, so I often stayed in the Basilicom whenever they went to work. Since that was on a daily basis, I basically lived my life there. I got along with the kids well, and I eventually went there to school. I spent preschool and kindergarten there, and I guess if I had grown older, I would have done high school too.

But one day in middle school, when class was over and my parents had to stay overtime, I met someone while I was in the waiting room. She was unlike anyone I'd ever seen before. She was extremely beautiful, and she gave off this amazing aura like she owned everything she'd ever touched in her life. She looked young, a little bit like a high school student but she looked so mature she was practically an adult.

She walked up to me and talked to me. I guess it was because I was all alone in the room. She asked me about the manga I had in my hand because I was reading some **Jump** at the time. We immediately got into an argument over which characters were better, and then she challenged me to watching the entire series just so she could prove her point.

Naturally, I was even more energetic, excitable and hotheaded than I am now, so I gave in to that and followed her. She led me through the halls of the Basilicom like she knew her way around, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. My mind was so full of nothing but arguments and how my favorite character was better.

But when she opened up the room she said she lived in, that's not even when it hit me. All of the lush furniture, the stacks of papers on one desk at the far end as well as the massive bed.

I was arguing with the CPU of Leanbox, but I thought she was just some rich girl that was a daughter of some secretary there.

We got to work immediately, and we spent the rest of the afternoon there. She even offered me dinner. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon when we first talked. It was 8:00 before I realized it, and my parents were in a panic.

My mistake.

The CPU eventually became like my older sister, and we spent every day together. We'd talk about anime and manga, watch it together, and we'd also play outside. We'd go eat out for dinner or she treated me to gourmet dinners in the Basilicom, and her private room no less. We'd play Frisbee and Mario Kart and we'd go Laser Tag whenever she was free.

When I got older, I decided I would work in the Basilicom so that I could stay near her as a friend and support her whenever she needed it. Naturally, my parents approved of that and I quickly began my work. I had to get a lot of work done before I could gather up half the courage to request that I become her personal attendant. But she supported my decision and helped it come to fruition.

During my time with her as an attendant, I learned that she was a great CPU over everything else. She always did her work first before play, and got it done quickly. She was sociable, friendly and made her decisions from a standpoint befitting of her stature as a CPU. She was objective as possible and put the citizens before anything else. I've personally seen some of the difficult decisions that she made, and I can tell you that she never joked around when she did that. I tried my best to provide all the support and help she'd ever need.

The one thing that I wanted to help her the most with was her Quests, though. I grew up not ever taking a single one, so I was as frail as you'd expect. But I was both lonely and worried sick whenever my best friend would leave to take on those Quests that involved taking down powerful monsters or large groups of gang members or organizations hell bent on profit. She said I couldn't go with her because I was too weak, and I knew she was right, as much as it hurt me to hear that.

So the first thing that I did was to try and get stronger. Chika helped me with that, and I began fighting monsters and soldiers in addition to my regular duties. But I was terrible at it. I was terrible at learning how to fight, and I was bad at fighting back then. I couldn't even do a single backflip without falling back onto my ass.

I grew bitter, obviously. I hated that feeling of helplessness. And to be honest, the fact that people were telling me to lay off the training only made me even more frustrated.

So I tried to find some way to make me stronger. And I was stupid enough to get baited by people I'd never met, seen or heard of before.

They offered me ways to get stronger quick, and they actually worked, so I began working with them.

But I didn't realize that I was working with ASIC until they stabbed my best friend in the chest. In hindsight, I find it kind of stupid that they told me to threaten people for their money and belongings without realizing that they were up to no good.

Of course, the instant I saw them getting ready to murder Leanbox's own CPU, I tried to help her out of there. I tried to fight. But they knew how I had gotten stronger. They knew what I was capable of and they had all the means to stop me, so I couldn't do anything.

I don't even remember that much of what happened after I tried to stop them, but I was basically beaten half to death and disposed of because I remember waking up in a dumpster.

I tried to drag myself out of the dumpster, and that's when Chika managed to somehow find me.

Ever since, I've regretted making the mistake of helping ASIC. And so I helped Chika and the rest of the Oracles protect the citizens, and I became a Commanding Officer. I've been fighting the CFWs from that point on from the front lines and helping humanity survive.

People talk to me every day and enjoy my company, and I know that a lot of the soldiers like me. They enjoy my personality and they like me for being cheery and happy. And that is how I am, so I can't blame them.

But almost no one knows that on the inside, I'm like this. I hate myself for not being strong enough. I hate myself for making mistakes. And I hate myself because I run away from my emotions by being happy.

When I can't take it anymore, when it hurts too much, I lose control of my emotions. As well as the rest of my actions, as you've seen. I've never remember my rampages but I've been told, and Chika did me the favor of recording a video of me going out of control. It's…scary, to be honest.

I'm scared of myself.

* * *

"…I see."

_What else can I say?_ Akai thought to himself bitterly as he looked at Veeta.

When she had walked in here, the black-haired Commanding Officer looked stable, beautiful and talkative. Cheerful, albeit a little concerned.

But now she had completely changed: she had practically entered the closest thing to a fetal position she could maintain in her seat. She had placed her legs onto the end of the bed and she was hugging her knees to her chest, and her head had ended up buried below her knees with her face out of sight.

…_she must have had it rough. No shit, but still. _Akai thought worriedly as he looked at her. She showed absolutely no signs of continuing her story, assuming it was incomplete which he believed was already done.

The natural compulsion to help a person in need was too strong for him, so he cleared his throat loudly. "Um…you shouldn't lower your head like that."

She raised her head immediately, her eyes already glimmering enough that it was obvious she was going to cry if left alone long enough. "…what?"

"Listen, Veeta." Akai said as he clicked his tongue and patted the bedsheets once. "I don't hold anything against you for rampaging like that. And telling me that would only make me feel bad for holding anything against you."

Veeta's expression was indescribable. The only emotion registerable was her confusion as she stared at him. "…I don't know how to feel. I wasn't expecting that."

"What were you expecting?"

"I don't know."

Akai just inched closer to her and patted her on the shoulder once before he returned to his initial position and closed his eyes as if he were going to sleep. "…you can just talk to me anytime. Right now, I'm not sure what to say because I just recovered and I might say something that you might not like."

"…like what?" Veeta asked in reply.

"I don't know. I might say something to offend you." Akai replied, opening one eye to look at her. "So when my headache's gone and I'm perfectly healthy, I can help you out. I even have some time to think about it."

Veeta stared at him wide-eyed and then started laughing out loud again, and this time it was louder and more mirthful than the last. "You amaze me, Akai."

She sniffled once and wiped a little bit of tear from her eye and got to her feet. "…I actually think I feel a bit better."

"Even though I didn't do anything?"

"Even if you didn't do anything."

Akai just chuckled and closed his eyes again. "You go ahead and get to your work. I should be on my feet within the day, so let's just talk about this another time."

"Get well soon, then." Veeta smiled and nodded, heading to the door and opening it. "And…again, thanks."

Akai just tilted his head in reply and smiled, and Veeta closed the door and turned around. She immediately yelped and jumped back, a hand over her heart, when she was suddenly confronted with a familiar face standing right there.

"D-Dihez!" Veeta smiled and let out a big sigh of relief, and she walked forward. She patted Dihez on the shoulder and removing her arm right afterward. "How long have you been here?"

"Ever since you went in." She replied flatly.

Veeta sighed, her cheeks reddening a little in embarrassment. "Don't eavesdrop." She raised her head and looked Dihez in the eyes, the laughter slowly draining away. "…by the way, what's the current situation outside?"

"We successfully injured Judge severely." Dihez said as if she were reporting to her superior. "With the assistance of newly enlisted Commanding Officer Aoi, we dealt enough damage to him that he will require time to recover."

"Excellent." Veeta nodded in approval, her eyebrows furrowing. "Listen, I need to speak with Genesis. Do you know where she is?"

"Back at the main city with the Insurgents and Jeanne." Dihez replied. "Why?"

"I just need to ask her some questions." Veeta replied before walking past her and beginning to run.

…_my curiosity isn't burning, but I wonder…why doesn't Genesis want anything to do with Akai? It doesn't make sense. _


	35. Chapter 32: Loyalty

**Chapter 32: Loyalty**

Magic tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest. She was more than irritated, unlike her usual disposition. She was ready to whip out her scythe and cleave her own comrades in two. Impatience was her choice of mood and it was going to stay that way if she weren't satisfied, but it was clear that she wasn't going to get what she so desperately wanted right then and there. Knowing that frustrated her all the more, and the only thing that ticked her off even more was her inability to take any shortcuts or make the process any faster than it already was.

She stood in the middle of the ruins of the castle that once belonged to Linda and Pirachu, in the center of the throne room that had been built out of nothing but sheer indulgence and whims, the debris of which looked as regal as a Dogoo trying to squeeze through a sewage pipe. Her angry gaze was very clearly locked onto one of the other people within the immediate vicinity, which was CFW Trick. He was trying his best to ignore the death stare that his companion was firing in his direction, but it grew to no use after a few minutes in silence.

"Agh, just give me a break already!" He said, throwing his clawed, chubby arms up in frustration and turned to Magic with an irked expression of his own. "I know you're impatient, but do me a favor and deal with it!"

"Like I can just stand by idly!" Magic replied, stomping her heel into the ground with enough force to send spider web-like cracks across the floor. "We're so close to seeing our Lady herself return in all her glory and brilliance!" She leaned forward, her voice growing lower as she hissed, "Do you expect me to wait here like some fool for her return?!"

Trick sighed and turned away from her, continuing his work. He closed his eyes and sensed the Fear that was allocating at his bidding. It was a massive amount; all of the negative energies being emitted by those people who were still alive and cowering in the last remaining stronghold of the Insurgents was so massive that just trying to grasp the scope of how much energy that was there in total was a daunting task even to him. It was almost laughable how much there was, and he knew that it only took a portion of the entire thing to annihilate their persistent enemies.

But for the task in mind, it was not enough.

"You can make yourself more useful and get more Fear." Trick muttered, his eyes remaining closed while his hairless brows furrowed. "We still need more."

Magic made a noise with her tongue and spat, her saliva striking a stray rock nearby. It carved a clean, circular hole through the whole rock from one end to the other, landing on the floor and creating a small crater where it did. "I already told you all to stop using the Fear as an energy source for our battles in order to gather as much as we can. Do we still require more Fear?"

Trick opened his eyes again and turned to Magic. "Like it or not, Magic, we're going to have to. Bringing Arfoire back to this world will be no easy task, and I estimate we still need more."

"That's right. No slacking off, Magic." A playful voice emanated from somewhere that no one present could see but could all hear, and everyone looked around quickly in response to it.

Croire appeared in the middle of the scene like she'd always been there but invisible, and Magic just glanced at her once threateningly before letting out a huff and turning around and beginning to walk away. "If that is the case, I shall first find Judge. Leaving him alone for too long is dangerous, and I don't trust him with that piece of Sharicite I gave him one bit."

"Then what do I do?" Trick posed the question to her almost challengingly; the idea of waiting around and doing nothing was not appealing to him in the slightest, especially since all of their material belongings had been vaporized in the past few days. "I swear, I'm gonna end up going mad before Lady Arfoire even arrives if I do nothing else apart from sit here in the dirt."

"Prepare, then." Magic retorted as she slowly began to rise into the air in preparation to start flying at high speed. "Soon, we'll stage an attack on that accursed underground city of theirs and get the rest of the Fear that we so apparently need."

"An attack on the main shelter?!" Trick exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. "Isn't that the worst idea possible?! You yourself already said that we weren't gonna attack it!"

"I changed my mind after thinking it over." Magic said in reply, holding a hand out. Her scythe instantly appeared in the same hand that she held out, and she swiped it once through the air in a flourish. "Besides, I came up with a plan for that. It's absolutely perfect, and we need to give them some time, anyway."

"A plan?" Trick repeated,

Magic just sneered devilishly and flew out of sight, breaking the sound barrier as she flew. But as she flew across the ruined landscape, her smile broke and her face grew calm and still despite the wind that streaked past her face.

_Judge…if you lose that Sharicite, I will kill you with my bare hands._

* * *

A loud knock on the door of her small, cramped office told Genesis she had a visitor. She turned around from her desk, which was filled with the usual load of prototype gadgets, weapons and blueprints sloppily left all over the table. She stood up from her chair and walked over to the door quietly, looking at the small monitor that was on the side of the doorframe that was connected to a camera that showed the outside.

_Who could be coming here right now?_ Genesis wondered to herself as the monitor flickered to life near-instantly, though the very irritating yet almost unnoticeable lag of the screen caused the display to flicker half a second later than Genesis would have preferred. This got on her nerves a bit, but she put that aside when she saw who was at the door.

Her fellow Commanding Officer, Veeta, stood there at the door with her arms on her hips. Her feet tapped the floor as if she were anxiously, impatiently waiting for it to be opened.

_Veeta?_ Genesis tilted her head in slight confusion. _What business could she have with me right now?_ Her train of thought slowly expanded to thoughts of concern as the endless possibilities began coming to mind.

When the possibility that the reason Veeta had come was related to Akai came to mind, accompanied by the thought that the chances were fairly high, Genesis grew irritated again. She reached for the button on the side of the door under the monitor and pressed it. The door parted into two and slid into the walls, making way for her guest to enter. At the same time as she pressed the buttons, Genesis immediately began walking back to her desk and sat down into her chair, swiveling on it the opposite way so that she would face Veeta when she came in.

"Hey, Genny." Veeta greeted with her usual smile, waving her hand as she walked into the office and stopped in front of her friend. The doors made a small noise as they shut behind the Commanding Officer. "You holding up okay?" Upon seeing her friend's face, though, Veeta made a face and took a step back. "Oh. Did you pass out again? Or are you on your period?"

"Please, Veeta." Genesis said in a pleading voice, pinching the bridge of her nose to temper the irritation that was slowly worsening like a sickness of sorts. "Tell me what you came for. I'm busy enough as it is, and I'm stressed enough without interruptions."

Veeta's goofy, friendly smile disappeared immediately, and she lowered her arms from her hips to dangle loosely around her waist. This brought Genesis' attention to Veeta completely, making her place focus on the girl alone and nothing else. Veeta stared Genesis straight in the eye and said very curtly, "…it's about Akai."

Suspicions confirmed, Genesis felt her irritation level rise until even she could sense that it was emanating from her skin. She folded her arms across her chest firmly, folding one leg over the other, and stared straight back into Veeta's eyes almost challengingly. "What about him?"

Veeta remained undeterred. "…I know what you're about to say…but I think that we might wanna reconsider hearing Akai out…."

Hearing those words made Genesis click her tongue in frustration, and she swore she could feel a vein burst in her forehead. Her eyebrows creased deep downwards, making her look absolutely furious even though she was less than halfway there. "And exactly what led you to that conclusion, Veeta?" She got to her feet, turned around and began walking back into her office. "It's a waste of time, just like what this conversation turned out to be."

Veeta's eyebrows bent downward. "…something's wrong with you, Genny. At the beginning of this war, you were no different from Akai, spouting what everyone thought but was kind enough not to say felt like utter nonsense about trying to revive the Goddesses and the power of Faith and whatnot. What's keeping you? You're nothing like how you used to be. I thought you'd be on board with this the minute he showed up."

Genesis stopped in her tracks. Her tongue was frozen in place, preventing her from offering a rebuttal.

She knew that. She was aware of it. But Genesis couldn't understand it herself. Something about Akai, something about his naïve-sounding plan to bring back the power of Faith, brought into her a strange feeling that she'd never felt before. Something she could never recall. It brought back memories that had once been pleasant, but now haunted her like a dream turned into a nightmare. Not only were the memories unpleasant to her, but there was something else plaguing her.

Something bordering on intuition. Like something she knew without knowing. Something like her conscience, or like her body knew even though her brain knew nothing. Like a memory that she used to own didn't belong to her anymore and was now taunting her from beyond a boundary that she couldn't cross no matter how hard she tried.

"Veeta…we Commanding Officers are required to serve the people and protect them. We uphold the law and the justice when others cannot, and we enforce it as much as we can." Genesis began, turning around to once again look Veeta in the eye. "…we cannot afford to slack off and take part of a plan we're not even sure can guarantee the safety, comfort and happiness of the citizens."

"…that's where you may just be wrong, Genny." Veeta rebutted with a smile, though her voice was far from cheerful. It was earnest and gentle, yet laced with sadness. "You know as well as I do, don't you? We're hanging by a thread as it is."

"Then why are you clinging to a strand of hope that can be so easily be cut?!" Genesis raised her voice unintentionally, though she did not care too much even when she realized that her tone of voice had even harshened without her realizing it. "We have to protect the people! It's what they would have wanted from us!"

Veeta clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, her gentle look immediately morphing into a face that looked like it was trying to fight despair. She smashed her fist into the wall, but she did not cause any harm to it. Only a loud thud resounded from the impact. "I'm clinging to that strand of hope because the one we're holding onto is already lowering us into hell!"

Seeing that, Genesis felt her voice stop in her throat. After a moment to try and recover, she opened her mouth again to rebuke her statement. Her words felt heavy and her heart felt like it was being constricted. She had tasted that very despair that Veeta spoke of, the despair that was so clearly painted on her face. "That doesn't mean we can just recklessly risk abandoning everything we've struggled to protect until now!"

"Then what do you want to do, Genny?!" Veeta's voice was already at a shout, and she stomped forward and into the office. She pointed a finger that stopped right in front of Genesis' eyes. "Do you just want to sit here and wait for them to annihilate us?! You already know that they could do it if they wanted to! And even if they can't kill us, they sure as hell can slaughter the citizens and destroy the city!"

"I don't know!" Genesis replied, but now she was a wreck. She hadn't expected her conversation with Veeta to go like this, but now she was breathing hard and her emotional state was so volatile that she was ready to shoot the wall out of pure, unfiltered concentration. "Veeta, I don't have all the answers! This is all I can do! This is all that we can do! Do you expect me to know all of the answers?!"

"No, I don't." Veeta said, her voice suddenly quiet once again. She turned around and walked out of the doorway. A pause ensued before she spoke again. "But he might know them…well, it's not like I'm totally sold on his plan. But this isn't like you." Veeta just smiled again, although this time it was bittersweet. "…maybe you could just try? Like you used to?"

Those her parting words, the doors closed and left Genesis alone. The purple haired girl let out a violent sigh and trudged unwillingly back to her chair. She sat back down in it heavily, the creak of the chair sounding like it would have given out from the force of her throwing her rear onto the cushion.

A microsecond after she did so, a loud noise caught her attention, and Genesis looked down at her wrist mounted communications device to see who was contacting her.

It was from a communication line she was not familiar with.

Suspicious but not quite alarmed, Genesis decided to press the touchscreen and see who was calling her. When she pressed the screen, several holographic displays jumped into the air and began to hover in front of her. Various meticulous details such as the wavelength detector of the voice of the person about to speak floated in a way that Tony Stark would have approved of.

"Yes?" Genesis said out loud, deciding to take the risk and speak first.

"I-it's me."

Aoi's voice. She recognized it after a measly few days.

The Commanding Officer fought back the extremely powerful urge to groan, repressing it so strongly that it felt superhuman to do so. She maintained her usual demeanor as best she could: that of a calm, cool and collected woman. "Did you have business with me?"

"I came firstly to report that progress with the reinforcements of the exterior of the entrance have been completed without any issue." Aoi said in a quick, tense and almost nervous voice. "Also, Akai's recovery has been facilitated by the medical staff and they have reported that he should be ready for combat in the next few hours."

_And we're back to him._ Genesis thought, fighting down the urge to reply coldly. She did not hate him at all, not on a personal level. She did not dislike his character, though he did irritate her due to his constant mention in plans that seemed ludicrous to even think of. "I see. That's good to hear." She said, easily forcing her expression of relief and joy. Underneath the mask, she cared less for the plan that Akai wished to carry out. However, that plan required resources that were needed for protecting Gekko, so Genesis did not spare a single thought about the idea of relinquishing them.

There was no way she would bet it all on a foolish plan.

If things were to go wrong, everyone would die.

With odds like that, Genesis couldn't risk it. She wouldn't. It was not her place to. It was her job to keep the remaining citizens of Gamindustri alive and well, and to see that they make it out of this despairingly hopeless situation. After seeing what Akai was capable of, Genesis had been hoping he would help turn the tide of the battle. He would have proven a valuable asset if he were to assist them in their endeavors to fight back.

"…I'm glad to hear he's well." Genesis replied, nodding once; she was hoping to end the call there and get back to her work. But as she began to move her lips to say something, a thought came to mind that stopped her immediately. If this were to persist any longer, Akai would consume valuable resources meant for them instead of him. Resources that they had hardly any leeway to make more of. The realization alarmed her greatly. "Is he still in the medical ward? I would like to speak to him."

"He should still be there. He's just getting the final checkups done." Aoi said, her eyebrow scrunching together in worry. "I'm more worried about the soldiers out there and the defenses. I don't think they'll hold for very long if someone attacks."

"…you're handling this situation well even though you have no prior experience." Genesis complimented as she reclined in her chair. "This is a strenuous job, you know. I was very unsure about allowing you to be appointed as Commanding Officer, but you seem to be taking it in stride." Genesis then smiled in sarcastic humor. "Although I wouldn't imagine that the men have shown you the appropriate respect that comes with the position just yet."

"You flatter me." Aoi replied flatly, though she smiled out of courtesy as she bowed slightly to accept her compliment. "Is there anything else I should be doing? I don't really know how it works if I'm working without any tutorials."

"Jeanne should be in the city. Find her and help her." Genesis said as she returned her attention to the work before her. She picked up a pencil and brought one of the incomplete blueprints in front of her closer, her eyebrows meeting one another in an expression of concentration. "She has a habit of going there and attending to business that none of us can help her with."

An expression of confusion flickered across Aoi's face for an instant when she heard that, and she opened her mouth to ask. However, Aoi's face immediately flickered back to an obedient expression after mulling things over in her mind for a moment and deciding that asking would probably waste time. That belief was confirmed when she saw Genesis' expression of neutrality. "G-got it." Aoi affirmed the command with a grunt of acknowledgment, and the call ended abruptly. Genesis let out a sigh of relief and leaned forward, trying to focus in the task she had set for herself. The sound of her pencil scraping across paper was the only one she allowed to fill the office.

"…Genesis."

She immediately let out a grunt of frustration and threw her head and gaze to the ceiling in an overdramatic display of her irritation. The tip of her pencil broke when the pressure on it multiplied near tenfold, which was followed by the breaking of the pencil itself. She let the wooden remains of the writing instrument clatter out of her hand messily before turning to see who had dared to intrude in on her work.

Kei II stood there with her arms crossed, one foot propping the door open. "I know it's a bad time." Despite the apologetic statement, her expression displayed no trace of such apology, instead made lively with an expression of both amusement and seriousness that somehow blended well on her face. It was an expression that Genesis knew only Kei would and could make. "We need to talk."

* * *

IF swallowed her saliva nervously as she took in the entirety of what she was staring at.

The wind howled and whistled almost violently but not quite, gales and bursts of wind streaking past the brunette's face and striking her cheeks like invisible bullets that barely missed her head and hit her with tassels attached to the rear of their lead bodies instead. There was a hum in the air like an extremely large air conditioner had been turned on right next to IF's ears, and the ground even rumbled like a miniature earthquake was taking place.

In front of her shone a column of light so bright and vivid that looking away was both necessary and impossible; rays of multicolored light shot outwards in random directions like a porcupine's spines as it quivered and grumbled with invisible energy. IF sucked in a breath, held back a sigh of awe and glanced around her through the squinting of her eyes.

Next to her stood Iris Heart in all of her usual glory, a very rare serious expression on her face as she gazed blankly at the column of light and energy with her arms crossed under her noticeably large breasts and her skimpy CPU armor and plugsuit. In one hand, she held her bladed whip that was coiled up like a defensive millipede.

And in front of the two of them was Mini-Histoire, who was yelling from the effort as she kept her two arms extended outward towards the column of light. Bolts of pink energy coursed around her arms and fingers and flew into the column, marking her as the source of the phenomenon. She took a deep breath, grit her teeth and then re-extended her arms outward like she had been re-energized.

"I can't do this for very long, IF! Please, if you're going to through with this, then do it quickly!" Mini Histy said, making an effort just to speak while her intense focus and the demand for her energy was taking a toll on her mind.

IF glanced over at Iris Heart, who noticed her gaze and returned it. "Plutia…thank you." IF said gratefully.

The CPU just shrugged. "Just don't get yourself killed, Iffy. Find your man quick and get back out there before the whole dimension goes down." She said with a very neutral, calm and almost uncaring expression on her face.

IF just nodded once and turned to the column of light. All of sorts of thoughts swept through her mind as she took step after step towards the portal. Thoughts of fear and hesitation. After all, she did not want to die. She did not want to leave her best friends here behind, and she didn't want to think about how much of a freakout they'd have once they discovered she was doing this. If the trip to Gigadimension and back didn't get IF killed, then she knew that confronting Compa was going to do the job.

Thoughts of mild excitement. IF was an adventurer at heart. The Guild did not offer her the thrill that this did. There was so much she could do in this new world: save the innocent, fight evil and all of the things that she once did alongside Neptune and the others when the world used to be in peril. Even if lives were at stake and the fate of an entire dimension was supposedly the balance, IF couldn't suppress her excitement. It made her feel a bit guilty, but she said nothing more.

…_Akai, I hope you're okay._ IF thought to herself, those thoughts of worry mixed in with love prevalent amongst the rest of her thoughts. He was her reason for going there, really, and remembering that only embarrassed her yet steeled her resolve. Pressing her teeth together in a fierce scowl like the column was her opponent, she suddenly crouched and propelled herself into the air in a reckless head-first jump into the column of light.

And with that, the beam disappeared into thin air along with her.

"Thanks for granting her request." Iris Heart said with a grateful smile to Mini Histoire, patting her on the head as if she were congratulating a child. "I appreciate it."

Mini Histoire escaped the hand, but she didn't look upset like how most would imagine her to be after having a hand placed on her head in a seemingly pretentious manner. Her face was only painted with worry. "…are you sure it was okay to send her there?"

Iris Heart said nothing as she transformed back into Plutia. But even her human form's facial expression was as neutral as she was in her CPU form. She spoke not a single word and turned around, exiting the balcony and leaving Mini Histoire alone. The Oracle cast a worried glance in the direction of her CPU and then looked at the spot where the portal once was, her gaze lingering on the floor.

_Please be safe, IF._

* * *

Aoi shot a wayward glance in the direction of the clinic where she knew Akai was resting. She longed to check on him a second time to see if he was well, but Aoi knew it was best for her to go immediately. As the current state of affairs stood, spending time on something that could be saved for later was wisest.

Without another word, Aoi finally tore her gaze from the clinic and began running, her feet making loud noises as they struck the steel catwalks repetitively. In the large, exposed expanse that was the entrance and exit to the outside where the CFWs had left their mark, the metallic clangs echoed until they could no longer be heard, the echoes only to be chased by more sounds as Aoi ran through catwalk after catwalk and descended from staircase to staircase, her hand running across the handrail that came with the staircase for safety and convenience. After a moment of hesitation, Aoi decided it would be faster to just slide down the rest of the stairs and did exactly that, reaching the ground in a way that Sonic the Hedgehog would have been proud of.

It took her only moments later to find the express route to the main city of Gekko, confronted with yet another fortified entrance that looked like nothing but a miniature version of the facility she'd been running around in earlier. It was almost comedic, and brought an ever-so-slight amused smile to her lips. But it was momentary and slight, later replaced with an expression of urgency.

_What on earth can I help Jeanne with? _Aoi wondered as she walked past the guards just as they gave her the signal to pass through. As she passed by the two guards and stopped in front of the enormous steel door that, despite being a smaller scaled model of the massive base's entrance, still stood tall above her own head.

Just like on the way here, Aoi found not a long tunnel but a large steel arch not unlike a gigantic Omega symbol. She heard a low, grumbling sound as something was switched on. The ground shook faintly and the air hummed as small specks of light began to appear in the center of the hollow arch. As the volume of the humming increased, light shone from the archway like a portal to Limbo or infinity had been opened in the fabric of space-time.

Without asking any questions, though she shot a questioning glance at the guards nearby who did not say anything. It wasn't indicated whether or not they wanted to say something or not, if they cared at all or not or if they were allowed to. Any of these went unsaid as her eyes met with the guards' eyes: the look in them was neutral. It was not a look of contempt, a look of neutrality or even one of hospitality. It was just a look that slid over as if they were both bored and attentive.

Aoi turned her eyes away to the front, and it only took a moment to walk through the gateway of light. Blinking once, Aoi found herself standing somewhere else that looked similar but was clearly not the same place.

Guards stood in front of her as well, though they looked visibly laxer but still on guard. The two noticeably stood more at attention at the sight of the girl appearing through the gateway but they did not say or do anything otherwise. Aoi just gave the guards a nod before walking past them a bit hurriedly. They nodded back, though that fact did not register much with Aoi. She just ran past them and into the beginnings of a short hallway made entirely of steel that led into the beginnings of the city.

Reaching the ending of the long hall greeted Aoi with a view of the city itself, although she didn't feel like she had the time to admire it in its strange, post-apocalyptic kind of beauty. However, she realized as she stood there basking in the view of soldiers patrolling about that she had no idea where to begin looking for Jeanne, and she was beginning to regret not asking.

…_maybe I'll find her if I look around enough. _Aoi thought to herself and took off into a sort-of run, and she began to soak in the city as she ran.

It was a strange looking city that baffled her to no end. It looked incredibly clean and managed despite the fact that it was an emergency bunker of a city. It looked quite a bit like Planeptune with its architectural style and use of white for every single building. They all had an angular look and appeared to be made of metal, and it all looked like it could withstand a nuclear blast from point-blank range.

It looked more like the futuristic city of Planeptune than a city designed as an emergency bunker and shelter for the citizens of Gamindustri. Aoi ran down a bare street and turned the corner to see some citizens sitting at one of the mess halls and eating while relaxing as if the apocalypse was not incoming. She continued to run down the street, passing by civilians that were walking around casually and unalarmed. Turning another corner granted Aoi a sight of an intersection to her left that had an arcade on the corner, and she could even hear the sound of action music that would play in the background of some games.

A very quick glance at the arcade allowed to see past the entrance and at a few kids that were laughing and playing on the Dance Dance Revolution machine.

…_it's not like how I imagined it. _Aoi thought to herself as she turned her head away continued to run.

She'd thought it be more like some post-apocalyptic world with the people in emotional, spiritual ruins; she'd been expecting people huddled up in shelters and protective facilities dressed in ragged clothes with gloomy expressions. Aoi turned a corner to find a couple holding hands and walking down the street dressed in fashionable clothes, and she found it amazing that they were not hiding away in some other corner and counting their seconds together.

It all looked…so normal. Like the world was really going to get better somehow.

Like hope was not lost.

Aoi turned the fifth corner in a minute and promptly ran out breath, placing her hands onto her knees and bending over to rest. As she took in breaths and released them, she couldn't help but think about how the atmosphere and the air was clean and filled with what was not blood, despair and sadness but instead calm. Raising her head, Aoi saw that the road that she was standing on stretched out into a large plaza of sorts.

The plaza was beautiful despite everything, with green grass that was the stark contrast of the surface that had absolutely no grass to speak of. There was a wind that brushed by her cheek as she stared out into the plaza, and Aoi found the sheer difference from what she'd been seeing and hearing mere minutes ago amongst soldiers in the tense air that reeked of fear and stress almost comedic. Aoi found herself drawn to the plaza, and she decided to allow herself to walk forward and towards it.

There were a number of solid rectangular benches that were positioned in a circular position around the plaza, and they circled around a large monument made entirely of white metal that Aoi couldn't quite see from her angle. She could tell that there were four of these statues, each one a different height but very close to one another, and they each held a weapon that was raised upward and into the sky.

As Aoi drew closer and closer to the statues, she began to make out details of them that told her who they were. Aoi could tell that there was a _katana_ amongst the four weapons, and the others were a rapier, a spear and a hammer. Long flowing hair that was way too white to portray its true beauty, a small hat perched on the top of one of their heads, and two all-too familiar ponytails.

_Wow. _Aoi thought to herself as she walked even closer to the statues and stopped in front of them, as the statues themselves were protected with a form of barrier that looked much like a force field. There was no mistaking the four people that were there.

"Neptune, Noire, Blanc, and Vert." Aoi muttered under her breath as she gazed upwards at the figures of steel that looked so majestic that they could have memorials. Aoi slowly floated into the air and rose, looking at every single detail that had been placed into the statues, amazed at the level of attention that had been paid to their recreation.

Neptune's D-Pad hair clips were present, along with the small threads that extended from her jersey dress. Her skirt stopped at the right height and her hair looked like it had been painstakingly recreated from shard after shard of metal. Noire's twin ponytails seemed to reflect the light that came from above as magnificently as the real deal's, and they shimmered and shone like the light was refracting off of water. Her rapier held a single red gem placed into the handguard, and the very outlines of the accents of her dress were spot-on. Blanc's somewhat sullen and almost dull looking expression had been perfectly recreated as if the statues themselves had facial muscles. Her eyes looked like they were bored and even looked like the statue had pulled an all-nighter the previous evening on a new light novel. Vert's dress collar had green gemstones studded across it, and the statue even had what looked like gloves on her forearms.

As Aoi admired them from her one-of-a-kind perch, she slowly turned around and looked out at the city that she could see from where she was. The tall white buildings that looked like they belonged in a futuristic city, the small amount of people walking around or running around relatively peacefully, the soldiers that were running back and forth on patrol or training and the beautiful scenery that seemed so at peace that Aoi couldn't believe that the inhabitants of Gekko were at any risk of getting murdered.

…_it's so strange. _Aoi thought to herself, almost too confused for her own sake. _…it's like there's no war happening, like no one died. _

"Hey, look!" Aoi was startled to hear the sound of a young child yelling suddenly emanate from below, and she looked down to see a small little boy pointing at her in amazement. "She's flying!"

When he said that, and as Aoi had begun to descend from her position, the air slowly began to get filled with noise as a bunch of kids that had heard the boy came filing in from seemingly out of nowhere and began to swarm around her like moths to a flame. Aoi couldn't help but smile as the kids began to crowd her from every side with adorable faces full of amazement and curiosity.

She reached out with her hand and patted one of the kids on their heads, relishing in the feeling of rubbing their hair. Her smile widened and she crouched to meet their eye level, and the kids began to barrage them with a series of questions such as "Who are you?" and "How are you flying?" Aoi simply answered those questions to humor them, all the while enjoying herself. Before long, the kids had already learned her name and were asking for things like high-fives.

"Hey, Aoi!" One of the kids, an energetic little girl, suddenly came up to her and pulled onto her arm. The pull was unexpected, making Aoi teeter a bit backwards before she regained her balance. She turned to the kid and smiled gently, asking "What is it?"

"Wanna meet the lady that always visits us?" The girl asked, smiling so brilliantly that Aoi tried not to hug her on the spot. The little girl just pointed her finger in the direction of the plaza where Aoi had seen the benches. "She promised to take us here today!"

"Sure." Aoi replied with a smile. The little girl took Aoi by the hand and began leading her, and the entire group of children suddenly formed an organized line with their hands all joined. Without warning, the kid at the front suddenly let out a vocal signal and the line began to move forward. Aoi was surprised to find out that, as she was in the middle of the line and she could see it clearly enough, the kids were marching not unlike the way that the soldiers were marching when they had been patrolling the city moments earlier.

They moved forward in this fashion into the section of the plaza with benches and some people that were also there, and Aoi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She continued to walk forward with the kids holding her hands, a bit thankful that there weren't so many people that were around to stare at her.

"Hey, that's where you guys are! Seriously, don't leave without me, or you'll worry me to death!"

_That voice…_ Aoi recognized it as Jeanne's voice and turned in the direction of the voice. Surely enough, the blonde-haired girl was running towards their group with a worried look on her face. Jeanne's eyes met with Aoi suddenly, and she immediately braked to a stop in front of the marching line that had been formed. "…Aoi?" Jeanne asked curiously, somewhat confused and also amused at the same time. "…what are you doing?"

Aoi looked down at her hands and the kids around her, and then looked back up at Jeanne. "…as you can see, I'm hanging out with these kids."

"I-I see." Jeanne replied unsurely, and she walked forward to the kids and crouched to reach their eye level, smiling when they came up to her and hugged her full-force. She let out a grunt when a large number of them began to slowly press themselves into her body for a big group hug, but she nonetheless took it all and embraced them. "Seriously, you guys, don't worry me so much!"

_So this is where she was…_ Aoi thought to herself. "…wait, what are you doing with a bunch of kids?"

Jeanne looked up at Aoi, smiling. "I'm helping them, of course. It's something only I can do." Aoi only tilted her head in confusion to the vague, dramatically worded statement, so Jeanne got to her feet and patted the kids on their heads. "I'm gonna chat with this lady here for a while, so play in the plaza for a bit, okay?"

"Really?!" The kids cheered when they were told that, and they immediately took off in a cluster of energy towards the most open spot in the plaza before Jeanne turned back to face Aoi. "I don't think you're here by coincidence. Normally, Dihez or Veeta helps me out with this if they feel like it, but I guess they sent you instead."

"So this is a thing that normally happens?" Aoi asked, crossing her arms. "I figured Commanding Officers don't exactly have a lot of time for the people, much less some kids. I thought you guys had your hands full trying to fight off the CFWs."

Jeanne let out what sounded a lot like a desponded sigh and glanced in the direction of a nearby bench. "…it's better if we sit down for this. It's a bit of a discussion." The two of them walked towards this bench together and sat down one after the other, Aoi being the later of the two. The brunette then faced Jeanne and leaned onto the armrest to her left.

"…Aoi, do you know what the word faith means?" Jeanne began with a question, however she was not facing Aoi as she spoke; instead, her gaze rested on the group of kids that were playing with each other and laughing. "You know, outside of the context of Shares?"

At this question, Aoi shrugged as she replied. "Yeah, I guess. Faith refers to believing in something, right?"

But to that answer, Jeanne simply shook her head and smiled. "That is the answer of someone who doesn't know what real faith is, Aoi; the answer of someone who's read about it and studied it, but has never found anything worth believing in." Jeanne's smile receded slightly, becoming what appeared to Aoi as a little bittersweet. "It's more than just believing in something."

Aoi was attentive to Jeanne's answer, looking very carefully at her face and her eyes. "…then what do you think it is, Jeanne?"

"…faith isn't about believing in something." Jeanne said, her eyes beginning to change. They looked like they were slowly beginning to look into a lens that was directed somewhere distant that no one else but Jeanne could see. "Faith is about putting a part of you into something, trusting in that something and loving that something for everything you think it's worth." Her tone began to shift into one more hopeful, and she turned to face Aoi. "That's what I think faith is. It's about trusting something precious with a part of you and believing that it will protect and nurture that part of you."

"…why are you telling me this?"

Jeanne looked back at the kids and leaned backwards. "…you see those kids there, right?" Aoi nodded in reply, glancing at the group of children and smiling when she saw them fooling around. "They look adorable, don't they? And they're all so happy and shining with youth and energy."

Aoi nodded in agreement.

"Their parents died years ago at the hands of the CFWs."

The brunette, feeling dismayed, turned her head back to face the Commanding Officer seated next to her whose eyes had become dyed with a small touch of sadness. Jeanne's fists slowly closed until they were balled into fists. "They've been living in the shelter for orphans and other people whose family members had all been killed." Jeanne's lips tightened and she was clearly upset at the words that were leaving her mouth. "They've been living for the past few years in that bare shelter without their parents and their family. Isn't that terrible? No child should have to go through that."

Aoi was bereft of words to reply with. Jeanne had said that with weight and meaning far beyond simple faith. She had said it painfully and knowingly, and it was inlaid with pure emotion. Jeanne looked at Aoi and said, "I've taken it upon myself to provide those children as well as everyone who has lost their beloved in this battle with the very thing they've lost. That is why I am here with them today."

"…you're incredible." Aoi couldn't help but say, her tone carrying with it admiration. "You sympathize with them like they really are your family. Like…" Aoi gazed hard into Jeanne, her curiosity beginning to eat at her as it grew. "…like you really know what it means to lose family."

"…it's because I really do, Aoi." The words that left Jeanne's lips sounded longing and lonely as she looked to the statues that were a distance away from them, and Aoi felt her mouth being nailed shut and her heart being pierced heard those words that sounded so despondent. "…I've lost someone important to me."

Aoi did not say anything, instead just moving closer to Jeanne as she began to speak.

"…come to think about it, I don't think anyone told you about the beginning of how all this started." Jeanne said thoughtfully, coming to that realization as she spoke. "I guess…I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you how it all started." Jeanne closed her eyes very, very slowly and opened them again, her gaze looking like it was completely removed from reality and staring into another world entirely. "…it began five years ago, Aoi."

For a while, neither of them said anything and the only sound audible to Aoi was the sound of the kids playing with each other nearby and laughing. It was an incredibly offsetting, distracting noise that threatened to shatter the mood that had built up until now. When it seemed like Jeanne, who was just staring off into space, was not going into say anything further, Aoi decided to open her mouth instead. "…what did?"

"…the Console Patron Unit Catharsis."

* * *

IF found herself dizzy and confused when she opened her eyes, forcing her to take a step back while she attempted to regain awareness of her surroundings. This did not go very well, as there was also an immense assault on her ears that startled her in its suddenness. IF lost her balance, disoriented as she was, and fell onto her rear.

_Wh-what the fuck is happening?! _IF thought to herself hazily as her vision and hearing ever so slowly began to return to her and she was beginning to make some sense of what she was seeing. Seeing didn't help her understand anything, though, as the very first thing she was seeing was an empty, desolated road. In front of her stood a tall building that looked very much like it was in the industrial style of Lastation with its drab colors and large pipes at the rooftop, but every single window was either missing or shattered and the door had been blown off of its hinges.

Immediately, she heard a series of menacing roars followed by the agonizing scream of a grown man. Right after that sound, a series of explosions boomed into IF's ears and forced her to grimace in pain as the waves of vibrations assaulted her already unstable senses and inflicted pain.

_Am I in the middle of a battlefield? _Now completely alarmed, IF drew out the Katars hidden in her sleeves and turned around on her heel to see exactly what was going on. In front of her now was a scene she wasn't expecting to be greeted with.

An entire platoon of what appeared to be soldiers all equipped in futuristic armor were firing away with lasers, bullets and rockets into an innumerable amount of gigantic yellow monsters that were also tearing at each other in addition to the soldiers. They roared in pain and anger as they regarded the soldiers in pure bloodlust, and a portion of them charged the group of soldiers head-on.

"Quickly, use the grenades!" One of the soldiers cried out, and a flurry of thrown projectiles suddenly hailed down from the sky and into the faces of the oncoming assault of monstrosities. Without so much as a warning, the projectiles immediately exploded on contact with their targets, and the force of the explosion was so great that IF was blown back and into the building behind her. She let out a cry of pain as her head struck the floor, and IF struggled to recover as she tried to get back to her feet.

_What the fuck is going on?! _To say she was confused was an understatement, and IF's confusion was only growing with each passing second as she hid next to the window and looked out at the chaos. _Where's Akai? Is he in the middle of this mess? _

"Quick, into this building!" A masculine voice suddenly erupted from behind IF, and she turned around to see a group of soldiers entering through some of the broken windows to her right. The man at the front locked eyes with IF and immediately raised his gun at her. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

Startled, IF retracted her Katars and held up her hands in a display of friendliness. "Wait, I don't want to fight you! Don't shoot!" But when she saw that the man was not going to even wait for her to start another sentence before pulling the trigger, IF clicked her tongue and turned around. Vaulting over the window, she barely managed to escape as bullets flew past the window and destroying what little glass remained. Without any time to breathe, IF realized that the sound of gunfire had attracted some of the monsters' attention and was making them come closer.

"Why the hell do they all look like CopyPastes?! Shit!" IF cursed out loud as she redrew her weapons and dodged to the side as the monsters mindlessly rammed into the wall she was just leaning on and broke it down. It only took a moment for the creatures to be met with a storm of bullets and lasers and killed them all.

_I need to get out of here! _IF thought to herself, looking around desperately for any open paths she could use to quickly escape. _No one's listening to me and the only other thing here are monsters! _Scrambling to her feet, IF looked back at the brigade of soldiers who were only beginning to notice her standing there and then looked in the opposite direction where the monsters were still trying to kill each other.

"…at least they can't shoot." IF muttered under her breath before she started dashing in the direction of the CopyPaste lookalikes. Running towards one, IF leaped high and planted her foot into its shoulder. Driving her sole into the creature's body, IF jumped off of it and over another group of creatures before landing in the middle of a large number of monsters that were still clawing and growling at one another.

She dashed forward and quickly slashed one of the creatures in the back of their neck whilst it was facing another monster, and then jumped off of the dead body of the creature she had just slain and attempted to do the same to another one. The monster received the slash and roared in pain, and it turned around with surprising speed and managed to smash its forearm into IF and send her flying. IF let out a grunt as she soared through the air and landed onto her back, sliding through the dirt before skidding to a stop. As she got up, IF realized to her dismay that she was right in front of the soldiers that she had been trying to avoid.

"What's a civilian doing here?!" One of the soldiers yelled out to the rest of their group, and then he pointed to IF. "We need to get her out of the battlefield, stat!"

"She may be a decoy!" Another soldier yelled out, pointing his firearm at IF. "We were instructed to eliminate everything here, sir! With all due respect, we should not bring a potential threat back to base!" To this statement, the man that appeared to be the leader stared at IF for a crucial moment with wavering, uncertain eyes.

_Please realize that I am not a threat! _IF thought hopefully, staring back at the leader and hoping her thoughts would get through.

"…capture her!"

IF barely had time to respond as a small object suddenly flew into her field of vision and she could do nothing but try to take a step back before her vision suddenly went white and her ears suddenly started ringing like someone had blasted soundwaves straight into her ear canals. As she stumbled backwards, she felt a humanoid figure suddenly grab her from behind, wrench her arms into submission behind her back and lock handcuffs onto her wrists before pushing her forward and onto the floor. Pain raced up her cheek as she hit the ground hard, but she was otherwise unharmed.

"H-hey! Let go of me!" IF quickly cried out as she tried to resist. Despite the main that was pinning her down with spectacular strength, IF began trying to raise her upper body and pout strength into her bonds.

A small jolt of pain stabbed into her side, and then she felt her entire body suddenly tense as a painful, powerful bolt of electricity raced throughout her system. Her senses already rocked and her body sensitive, IF felt another shock hit her body hard and make her see nothing but black.


End file.
